Former UFC star was temporarily cut for refusing short-notice fight with infamous biter
03/27/2025 09:01 AM
‘White Kong’ went 3-4 in the UFC before parting ways with the promotion last year after his contract expired.
Getting to the UFC is one thing but as one undefeated prospect who was cut before making his debut recently found out, staying there is a whole other task.
Even high-level fighters will find themselves departing the Octagon for various different reasons but there are other viable options for top athletes.
The PFL is set for a big year in 2025 after announcing significant changes to their format going forward which shows that they have listened to what fans want.
Whilst UFC fans hope to see UK superstar Dakota Ditcheva make the switch at some point in the near future, a fellow Brit has gone the opposite way as Jake Hadley prepares to make his PFL debut in the coming weeks.
Jake Hadley says he was cut from the UFC for three days for not fighting Igor Severino on short notice
Jake Hadley’s relationship with the UFC didn’t get off to a great start as he nearly didn’t get signed via Dana White’s Contender Series despite putting on an impressive performance.
The former Cage Warriors flyweight champion missed weight ahead of the fight with White also stating that Hadley had caused some problems backstage but he went against this in offering the Brit a contract.
After going 3-4 inside the Octagon, ‘White Kong’ was announced to have signed to the PFL where he will compete in the promotion’s bantamweight World Tournament with his debut coming on April 11 against Sarvarjon Khamidov.
Hadley spoke in a recent interview with Home of Fight about his relationship with the UFC during the time that he spent with the promotion.
The 28-year-old revealed that he was once cut from the roster for a period of three days after he turned down a fight on short notice.
“I can’t probably talk about it but whatever, I’m going to. The UFC cut me for turning down a fight on short notice and then they re-signed me again so it probably weren’t the best relationship ever.”
Hadley went on to say that before being offered the fight, he had completed a DEXA scan with the UFC so they knew that he would struggle to make flyweight on a quick turnaround.
The fight in question would’ve seen him face Brazil’s Igor Severino on March 23 who was instead matched with Andre Lima.
In that fight, the debuting Severino was disqualified for biting his opponent with the 21-year-old signing for European promotion OKTAGON after he was cut from the UFC and fined.
“That actual fight where that guy bit that other guy, I was supposed to fight that fight and it was on short notice and basically, the UFC already knew I had a bit of struggles making weight as it was.
“When I turned it down, it come into a big problem and whatever, I got cut for a couple days then got back in but I don’t hold nothing against them. Whatever, it’s a business. I mean I would’ve killed that geezer even on the short notice… He probably would’ve bit me which would have been an easy win and an extra 50 grand so I probably should have jumped in there and took it.”
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Jake Hadley can start fresh like Igor Severino has
Whilst Jake Hadley’s UFC exit was far less controversial than Igor Severino’s, both men can reinvent themselves in new promotions.
Severino has already started to do that in OKTAGON where following a big win on his debut, he will fight for the vacant bantamweight title next time out on April 26.
Hadley has got some tough opposition in the PFL’s bantamweight tournament with a difficult start against the 16-0 Khamidov.
However, this is his opportunity to get things started on a much better foot than his time in the UFC where their relationship was on thin ice from the very start.
