Colombia’s Fredy Serrano Was Not Expecting UFC Release

Fredy Serrano has fought his last bout under the UFC’s banner, and will now look towards new opportunities in his MMA career.

The flyweight’s last fight in the UFC will be his recent loss to Hector Sandoval in December at UFC on FOX 22, according to MMA Fighting. The Colombian saw two straight losses in his last two bouts, despite a promising start to his promotional career. Serrano knocked out Bentley Syler to earn a “Performance of the Night” bonus and followed this up with a TKO over Yao Zhikui.

‘El Profe’ confirms that he was taken aback to learn he was cut from the roster and had expected at least one more fight to redeem himself:

“I knew that with two losses they would start thinking about it, but I really thought they would give me another fight,” Serrano told MMA Fighting. “I had the expectation of doing another fight, but well, those were the decisions, and with two losses in a row, the company sometimes takes those decision.”

At 37-years-old, the fighter feels that age has not been a factor for him wishing to proceed with his career. Serrano has already received offers from around the world, but has a return to Colombia at the forefront of his mind:

“Well, right now I’m just recovering from a few injuries, but we’ve got a few important offers to fight in Russia or Japan, and I think that would be a beautiful opportunity,” Serrano said. “So we’re looking into those options, and the truth is that I would also explore the opportunity of fighting again in Colombia. I don’t have that many fights here, and there are a lot of people that support me and would love to see me fight here in Colombia, so I’m also thinking about that.”

As the only Colombian to enter the octagon in the UFC, Serrano feels a sense of accomplishment and pride, despite the end of his career with the promotion:

“I feel very blessed in that sense,” Serrano explained. “I was fortunate to be the one to open the doors [for Colombia], and I think the job was done well despite not being in the UFC anymore. I gave it my all and showed potential. I fell a little short, but well, opportunities are meant to be taken and faced and that’s what I did. I’m happy that I had a career in the UFC, although I do feel I had more to give.”