Heavyweight star’s gamble backfires as he’s cut from UFC soon after quitting day job

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One UFC 321 winner is facing an unexpected setback.

There were some notable moments at last Saturday’s pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi, including Mackenzie Dern taking the title from Virna Jandiroba and Quillian Salkilld’s stunning head-kick finish.

However, not every victory was well received by fans, and Hamdy Abdelwahab’s win over Chris Barnett was one of them.

Their heavyweight prelim drew plenty of criticism. While most of it landed on ‘Beastboy’, Abdelwahab also faced backlash for not finishing the fight and relying heavily on control.

And the UFC seem to agree with the fans, at least partially, as they decided against keeping Abdelwahab in the promotion.

Hamdy Abdelwahab out of UFC contract after quitting his day job

Abdelwahab was one of two fighters cut from the roster following the event at Etihad Arena.

The Egyptian heavyweight took to social media to talk about the injury he fought through on October 25. He also shared that his win over Barnett was the final bout on his contract, which has not been renewed by the UFC.

This is a tough setback for Abdelwahab, who had left his full-time job in preparation for what turned out to be his fourth and final fight with the promotion.

“If we go back to Baku, preparing for the Baku fight was not the best.

“I was working every day, full-time job. I didn’t have time to train, so my training was part-time.

“This fight, I left everything behind. I left the job, I even left New York completely. I moved here since August, only focused on training,” the Egyptian revealed.

Valter Walker stole the show at UFC 321

Abdelwahab’s chances of earning a new deal were not helped by the standout showing from another heavyweight on the same card.

In stark contrast to Abdelwahab’s control-heavy approach, Valter Walker picked up a first-round submission win, securing his fourth consecutive victory by heel hook.

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Walker’s latest finish not only made him the first fighter to win four straight fights with that submission but also tied him with Rousimar Palhares for the most heel-hook wins in UFC history.