Perfect 6-0-1 record. Unwavering dominance in the Octagon. And still Rinat Fakhretdinov found himself charting his MMA career outside UFC as Dana White abruptly ended his contract. What exactly went wrong? Fakhretdinov is ready to pull back the curtain on a few vague details.

Dana White, following the UFC’s latest $7.7 billion Paramount deal, has been mysteriously cutting ties with several prominent names in a deep roster cleansing, to welcome the new chapter with fireworks. Just a week ago, the promotion parted ways with six fighters before delivering blows to the MMA fanbase with their latest release of Rinat Fakhretdinov. The ‘Gladiator’ was sure to snap back.

Rinat Fakhretdinov reassures his fans as he responds to his UFC removal

The Russian was quick to end rumors of him getting fired, which might have circulated online since the news turned into a viral hit in the media.

“Yes, the information is reliable, but there is one problem. No one fired us, we just finished the contract and for certain reasons it was not extended,” Fakhretdinov explained. He continued, “There are small nuances that I will not tell you here. You need to record a whole podcast, a whole interview to tell you all the details. And probably I will tell someone about it so that it does not happen a million times.”

This does seem like an extremely uncomfortable situation for the fighter. But, as of now, the details of the entire fiasco remain unclear, except for the fact that the Dana White did not renew his contract despite the Russian being one of the most thrilling, no-miss fighters in the promotion.

Whether it’s an internal dispute or a misalignment in contract negotiations remains under the radar. But as Fakhretdinov explained, it seems other offers are lined up for him.

“Nothing terrible happened. The offer is already there, and with other fees. Therefore, as they say, I am not for money in this sport. I just like to fight,” he shared.

With his passion to push through the rough patch, ‘Gladiator’ is apparently at a career crossroads, charting his next course of action. However, even as Fakhretdinov assures that there’s no nagging rift between him and the promotion, he might still be having some animosity with some people in the management.

“We would drink blood to someone there, but apparently this also prevented someone,” certainly does not read as an amicable parting.

The good news for his fans, however, is that Fakhretdinov isn’t planning on hanging up his boots any time soon, with offers already queued up.

Rinat Fakhretdinov is already stacking up potential MMA contracts

UFC severing ties with the Russian ace shook the entire MMA fandom. But fight promoters from Fakhretdinov’s home country are looking to capitalize on this opportunity as they are competing with each other to sign the fighter. ACA Vice President Aslanbek Badaev has released his statement, expressing his willingness to sign Rinat Fakhretdinov and Loik Radjabov, another victim of the roster shake-up.

“Of course, these are interesting fighters for the ACA. Both of them. Radzhabov and Fakhretdinov would find their audience here. They’re interesting athletes for fans, fighters with a reputation, and most importantly, competitive. Both would be a good fit. The only question is their readiness. If Loik and Rinat are ready, then we can discuss their performance in the ACA. They know they’re interesting to us,” Badaev shared. [translated from Russian]

However, the Russian promotion won’t be alone in jumping onto this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, with marquee rivals like Bellator MMA and PFL potentially looking to make a move. This isn’t an entirely unfamiliar phenomenon for the UFC, with Francis Ngannou joining the PFL since he left the promotion after a lingering dispute. Whether Fakhretdinov joins that list depends on their negotiations moving forward.

What are your thoughts on the situation? Is a redemption UFC contract possible for the ‘Gladiator’? Or is the chapter actually over? Comment below.