Kazuhiro Nakamura has been released by the UFC!

According to a new published report, light heavyweight competitor Kazuhiro Nakamura has been released by the UFC.

The move had been anticipated but was confirmed in the July 1 print edition of The Wrestling Observer.

The decision to release Nakamura was made shortly after his UFC 84 loss to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. In that fight, Nakamura was declared the loser via TKO following the first round due to a leg injury. Irrespective of the injury, Nakamura had been dominated by Sokoudjou during the fight’s opening round.

Nakamura had made his UFC debut at UFC 76 last September, where he lost a unanimous decision to Lyoto Machida. After the fight, the California State Athletic Commission announced it was fining and suspending Nakamura for testing positive for marijuana during his post-fight drug screening. Nakamura appealed but was unable to get the fine and suspension overturned.

Prior to entering the UFC, the 29-year old Tokyo native was considered one of the better light heavyweights competing for the PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan. Known for his colorful entrances, Nakamura recorded notable victories in PRIDE over the likes of Kevin Randleman, Daniel Gracie, pro wrestler Dos Caras Jr., former UFC middleweight champion Murilo Bustamante, K-1 standout Stefan Leko, Yuki Kondo, Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, and Igor Vovchanchyn.


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