UFC veteran Francisco Trinaldo took strong offense to the UFC releasing him last week following a long career in the promotion.
The UFC parted ways with Trinaldo last week following a recent loss to Randy Brown in October. Before that, the 44-year-old appeared to have a career resurgence with wins in five of his previous six UFC fights.
Trinaldo made his UFC debut in 2012 at UFC 147, earning a first-round finish over Delson Heleno. This came after a long run in Jungle Fight that included a lightweight title reign.
Trinaldo was one of the oldest fighters on the roster at the time of his release. Despite his recent success in the Octagon, he was the latest victim of the UFC’s cleaning house in recent years.
After reflecting on the end of his UFC tenure, Trinaldo is angry with how things concluded with the promotion.
Francisco Trinaldo Took Exception To UFC Release
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Trinaldo reacted to his recent UFC release.
“It was good for as long as it lasted,” Trinaldo said. “We feel a bit offended, but it’s also good to me because it gives me more energy to train. Not that I was tired of fighting in the UFC, but … it’s good that I’m going to fight for other promotions now, meet other people. MMA is only growing, so let’s leave that feeling in the past.”
Trinaldo picked up recent wins over Jai Herbert and Dwight Grant before his release. A move to welterweight in 2021 saw mixed results, which could’ve been the icing on the cake to the UFC deciding to part ways with him.
Trinaldo then teased a potential move to a rival promotion after parting ways with the UFC.
“We think about that [PFL] tournament, four fights a year, but when I fight, I do it for love,” Trinaldo said. “It’s good that I get paid to fight and put on that show, so that’s also a good option to think about the future. Not every promotion pays a million. We’re fighting for a long time, so that’s a good promotion to consider.”
If Trinaldo joins the PFL, he’ll be the latest former UFC standout to make the move. The league recently signed UFC outcasts Aspen Ladd, Shane Burgos, and Marlon Moraes, on top of former champions they’ve signed in the past such as Anthony Pettis and Rory MacDonald.
Trinaldo is far from the only UFC veteran who had a tense breakup with the promotion. Former UFC title challenger John Dodson said the promotion opted to part ways with him despite previously agreeing to book him a fight just weeks before.
Trinaldo is out to prove that he can still compete with the best in the sport despite his age. At the same time, he’s looking to prove to the UFC that they were wrong in deciding to move on from him, and sounds like he has a massive chip on his shoulder.
All quotes from MMA Fighting
