UFC Frees Contender Series Champion Following Defeat in Sudden Matchup
James Llontop put forth his best effort against one of the UFC's rising stars at UFC 309 in New York in November, and he did so without much preparation.
Llontop got the better of Brazil's Mauricio Ruffy in this unforeseen match, yet the Fighting Nerds graduate was simply overwhelmed by Ruffy's raw power.
The word spread on Monday that Llontop was let go by the UFC, and his next fight would be under the Fusion FC banner, as reported by The Matchmaker.
Llontop managed to secure a place on the UFC roster through a unanimous decision win over Malik Lewis on the Contender Series in September 2023.
Unfortunately, Llontop suffered defeats in all three of his UFC bouts. He missed weight in two of those, although his situation against Ruffy was extenuating, as Llontop was asked to step in as a substitute fighter.
Llontop understood he was fighting for his spot on the roster and went into battle like a man on the brink of losing his job. Against Chris Padilla in April 2024, he was heavily favored, but he missed weight by 1.5 pounds and was tapped out in the first round. His original opponents, Lando Vannata and then Gabe Green, had both withdrawn, leaving Llontop with only Padilla as an opponent.
Llontop followed this loss with a close split decision defeat to Viacheslav Borshchev that placed him in a precarious position. What Llontop lacks in conditioning and grappling skills, he more than makes up for with his tenacity.
He's largely a brawler whose game may not be nuanced enough to secure significant achievements with any major promotion in MMA.
FFC is a familiar territory for Llontop. This was the promotion he was a part of before he caught the attention of the Contender Series. Llontop was the FFC welterweight champion at the time of his UFC debut. At 25, Llontop still has a chance to reclaim his spot in the UFC.
Even if he doesn't return immediately, a few victories on the independent circuit or perhaps with the Professional Fighters League could earn Llontop a second chance with the UFC.
Llontop also seems like a suitable candidate for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. It's hard to find a fighter who takes punishment better, and he delivers a potent blow with his fists.
It'll be intriguing to see if he ever sets his sights on BKFC.
Next Up: UFC Vegas 101
The next UFC event takes place on January 11 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Here's a look at the entire card:
- Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas - Strawweight
- Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris - Welterweight
- Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. César Almeida - Middleweight
- Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov - Middleweight
- Austin Bashi vs. Christian Rodriguez - Featherweight
- Punahele Soriano vs. Uroš Medić - Welterweight
- Jose Johnson vs. Felipe Bunes - Flyweight
- Marco Túlio vs. Ihor Potieria - Middleweight
- Thiago Moisés vs. Trey Ogden - Lightweight
- Andreas Gustafsson vs. Preston Parsons - Welterweight
- Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Nicolle Caliari - Flyweight
- Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes - Light Heavyweight
- Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Fatima Kline - Strawweight
- Nurullo Aliev vs. Yanal Ashmouz - Lightweight
James Llontop's performance against Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 309 gained attention in UFC news, despite the lack of preparation. Despite securing a unanimous decision win over Malik Lewis on UFC's Contender Series, Llontop faced challenges in his UFC bouts, including losing his spot in the promotion. However, UFC results showed his tenacity in the face of adversity, as he continued to fight with a potent strike force.
