UFC president Dana White has been a bit ruthless with his axing spree lately. The promotion always keeps tabs on past fights and a fighter’s overall performance, even if they hit a rough patch. But still, no one really expected the head honcho’s laser focus to target some of the most well-known names on the roster. Opening the door for some fresh and credible talent to rise.
Earlier this year, we saw one of the most unexpected exits from the UFC! Jairzinho Rozenstruik was cut by the promotion in February following his unanimous decision loss with Sergei Pavlovich at UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Imavov. But ‘Bigi Boy’ didn’t stay sidelined for long. He quickly found a new home at Dirty Boxing Championship and has already headlined the DBX 2 event. But that wasn’t the end of it.
After the UFC announced its upcoming Shanghai Fight Night event earlier this month, the popular X account UFC Roster Watch revealed that several recognizable names had been cut from the roster. Viviane Araujo was surprisingly released following her UFC 317 loss to Tracy Cortez. Soon after, other familiar names like Trevin Giles, Ange Loosa, and Jordan Vucenic also appeared on the list. That naturally sparked the question—are some fresh signings on the way?
Well, to answer that, UFC Roster Watch is back again with another big reveal. The UFC has signed eleven new fighters, pulling talent from the USA, Brazil, and even Mexico. And honestly, at first glance, the records of these new signings look pretty promising.
They are—
Cristian Perez (Mexico) (13-1-0)
Alik Lorenz (USA) (6-1-0)
Ryan Gandra (Brazil) (7-1-0)
Elisha Ellison (USA) (5-1-0)
Vitor Costa (Brazilian (8-1-0)
Marcio Barbosa (Brazilian) (16-2-0)
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev (Turkey) (6-0-0)
Damon Wilson (USA) (9-2-0)
Manoel Sousa (Brazil) (12-1-0)
Robert Ruchala (11-1-0)
Brando Pericic (Australia) (4-1-0)
Fighter added: Cristian Perez
— UFC Roster Watch (@UFCRosterWatch) July 23, 2025
As the UFC clears up a few spots by cutting fighters they felt weren’t performing up to the mark, all eyes will now be on these new talents to prove their worth inside the Octagon. Interestingly, even from this list, a few fighters are already linked to legendary names and top-tier gyms. So, let’s take a closer look at that as well.
Top prospects from Dana White’s latest batch of 11 signings
To start, Mexican prospect Cristian Perez might be the most recognizable name on this list. The Mexican has already made a name for himself through appearances in Karate Combat and Kombat Global. But what might surprise many is that Perez was part of Charles Oliveira’s camp for UFC 300, helping him prepare for his fight against Arman Tsarukyan.
After becoming a free agent last year, Perez told ESPN Deportes, “I’ve been training for 14 years, investing for this moment. I’ve already made it clear what needs to be done. I don’t think it’s necessary to go to the Contender Series, but if it has to be done, we’ll go,” revealing his motivation to compete in the UFC. However, before securing an official contract, he’ll first have to face Manoel Sousa in the 2025 season of Dana White’s Contender Series.
But he’s not the only one standing out. Brando Pericic might just be the next Aussie superstar to watch. He’s currently scheduled to face Elisha Ellison, who’s also on the signing list, at the 2025 season of Dana White’s Contender Series. ‘The Balkan Bear’ is part of the esteemed City Kickboxing gym and trains under none other than Israel Adesanya’s head coach, Eugene Bareman.
Like Brando, one of the USA’s top signings, Damon Wilson, is another prospect to keep an eye on. Hailing from San Diego’s Alliance MMA, a gym known for producing legends like Dominick Cruz and Jeremy Stephens. He’s set to face Márcio Barbosa in this season of DWCS, aiming to make his mark in the shark-infested waters of the UFC’s lightweight division.
With that being said, which new signing are you most excited about? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
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