It appears that Megan Anderson was not only fighting to become world champion at UFC 259 but also to keep her spot on the company’s roster.
Megan Anderson became the latest in the ever-growing list of fighters who have fallen by the hand of UFC double champion Amanda Nunes. As disappointing as losing the biggest fight of your life via first-round submission is, imagine having that news followed up with the realization that you will need to find a new home to practice your craft. This is precisely what Megan Anderson is experiencing, as MMA Fighting has reported that Andersin is no longer under UFC contract as confirmed by company officials.
Megan Anderson’s UFC 259 fight against Nunes was the final bout on her deal. While it is true that free agency does not necessarily mean separation, all indications are that Anderson will not be returning to the UFC. In fact, in a Twitch live stream on Tuesday, Anderson stated the UFC would be eliminating the featherweight division altogether. UFC officials have denied this report and have stated that nothing has changed since Dana White said at the post-fight press conference that the division would remain as long as Nunes was willing to continue defending the title.
Despite having started four years ago, the UFC’s women’s featherweight division has never had official rankings. At the moment, there is only one fight booked in the division between Felicia Spencer and Danyelle Wolf. So in theory, should Wolf earn the victory in this bout, a fighter with a 2-0 record would be the #1 contender in the division by default. Such troubling truths combined with Anderson’s claim certainly puts the future of the division in question regardless of the company’s assurance otherwise.
Megan Anderson will exit the company with a 3-3 promotional record at 31 years of age.
Stay tuned for any updates related to this developing story on the future of the UFC’s women’s featherweight division and other breaking news around the MMA world.