UFC releases heavyweight prospect Todd Duffee
Heavyweight prospect Todd Duffee (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is a free agent.
A little more than one year after Duffee burst onto the UFC scene with a seven-second knockout of Tim Hague, the 24-year-old is no longer employed by the sport's largest mixed martial arts promotion.
I learned of the UFC's decision from multiple sources with knowledge of the move, and Duffee's manager, Alex Davis, confirmed the report.
Davis declined to comment further on the matter or speculate as to the reason behind the UFC's decision.
Duffee wasn't immediately available for comment when contacted by MMAjunkie.com.
Following his record-breaking win over Hague (officially the fastest knockout in UFC's history), Duffee was defeated by Mike Russow at UFC 114 in one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the organization's history. Duffee was in control of the fight for the first two-and-a-half rounds before a right hand left him flat on his back.
Nevertheless, Duffee was targeted for a bout with Jon Madsen at October's UFC 121 event. A lingering knee injury forced him out of the planned contest, and Gilbert Yvel stepped in to take the fight.
It's not immediately evident what Duffee plans to do next, but the massive heavyweight will undoubtedly demand interest from organizations both U.S-based and overseas.
I for one am shocked as he was labelled the next big thing many times with in UFC.
