Austin Springer is officially gone from UFC.
The lightweight made his debut last month at UFC Vegas 8 against Alex Caceres. Unfortunately, Springer suffered a first round submission loss, which may have sealed his fate in the company as the 33-year-old revealed on Instagram that he was released from the promotion:
Yesterday I was informed that the UFC has decided to fire me. They were pissed that I missed weight, and decided rather than give me another opportunity, they're releasing me from my contract. That hurts! On my way to the airport I told my sons that the only/last promotion I would ever fight in was the UFC. It has been an incredible journey. It's been an amazing experience. For 15 years my goal was to compete in the UFC, and I achieved that. For years I felt like a runner up (so to speak). I got a Bellator fight, I won, they didn't offer me a contract. I got on the Ultimate Fighter, then didn't win the fight to actually fight in the UFC. I got 2 weeks notice to fight on "Dana White's Contender Series" and won and didn't get a contract. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride is what it started to feel like. Then it happened, I fought in the UFC. Dang it felt good. Was it ideal, no. It was incredible though! It's something I will remember and cherish forever! Set big goals, dream big, and don't be afraid of failure! Struggle and failure breed success! Thank you to my wife for being the most incredibly supportive partner. No amount of words can express how helpful and supportive she has always been. Being a fighter's wife quite frankly sucks a lot of the time, and she handed it incredibly! Thank you to all my family for alway believing in me and supporting me. To my friends and family for cheering and encouraging, thank you! I've had great coaches and training partners that have had a great hand in helping accomplish what I have, thank you as well!
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Springer has been fighting since 2007 and made his name in Main Event Sports, Bellator MMA, and CageSport MMA. Springer first caught Dana White’s attention on the Tuesday Night Contender Series and beat Giga Chikadze with a third-round submission; however, the veteran was not offered a contract until this year.
The promotion has been releasing talent as of late, notably cutting Robert Drysadale, Eric Spicely, Ray Borg, and Roman Bogatov. There’s no word on whether Springer intends to continue fighting following his departure from the company. Currently, he exits the UFC with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses.