UFC Cuts Thales Leites, Tamdan McCrory After 101, Adds Dennis Hallman, Vladimir Matyushenko

Former UFC middleweight title challenger Thales Leites (14-3) and welterweight “Barn Cat” Tamdan McCrory (11-3) have been released by the UFC after split decision losses at UFC 101 in Philadelphia Saturday, according to multiple sources.

“Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (14-7), who should’ve amounted to busy work for the Brazilian, upset Leites in a three-round split decision, rendering him with consecutive disappointing losses.

Leites paired with UFC middleweight champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4) at UFC 97 in Montréal 18 April to engage in the most disappointing Octagon main event of the year. Leites refused to engage MMA’s most feared striker and several times fell to his back inviting the champion into his guard, which Silva refused.

Leites is 5-3 in the Octagon, a notch better than Sakara’s 5-4, and that must sting.

“Doomsday” John Howard (12-3) won a three-round split decision over McCrory. McCrory is 3-3 in the Octagon, but has never lost consecutively. McCrory also hadn’t progressed since choking out “Secret Weapon” Pete Spratt (18-15) in his UFC debut at Fight Night 10 in Miami in June 2007.

Both fighters can look forward to returning to MMA’s greatest show with a few wins on the regional circuit.

Wednesday the UFC re-signed American Top Team lightweight “Maximus” Marcus Aurélio (18-7), who was cut after losing a unanimous decision to Hermes Franca (19-7) at UFC 90 in Chicago last October. Aurélio picked up two Ws during his hiatus, neither to noteworthy competition.

Also Wednesday, the UFC announced welterweight “Superman” Dennis Hallman (41-12-1) would return to the Octagon four years after losing a UD to “El Conquistador” Jorge Rivera (16-7) at UFC 55 in Uncasville and light heavyweight “Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko (22-4) will again fight for the UFC six years after Fighters.com’s tenth-ranked heavyweight “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7) knocked him out at UFC 44 in Las Vegas.