While he seemed to be on the decline, it was still puzzling to see the UFC let Gabriel Gonzaga go. While his 3-6 record didn't do him any favors following his memorable knockout of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, he was still a recognizable name. The heavyweight division is notorious for having only eight to ten notable fighters. Brendan Schaub said it best on his podcast, when he was asked about Frank Mir's future. "There are only about ten heavyweights that can deliver you pizza and you'd recognize them". Gonzaga is one of those heavyweights. People recognize his scary face, hairy chest, and his memorable knockout of Cro Cop. It's not unreasonable for the UFC to let him go, considering how much he seemed to have declined at the time. The UFC seems determined to erase the "gate keeper" role as much as possible in every division. Then again, they've always been persistent on giving extra chances to fighters that are popular or put on exciting fights. Dan Hardy and Leonard Garcia are prime examples of that. His firing still shocked me at the time, considering his popularity and being one of the few Brazilian heavyweights left. That was a big reason why I believed the UFC would bring him back. They started to become accustomed to having events in Brazil every other month, which led to his return.
I cover the sport of MMA, along with being a fan of the sport since 2008. I've been covering the sport for two years now, along with interviewing several fighters. I also write on MMASucka.com. You can follow me on twitter @Allen_Strk or email at AStrk19@gmail.com
