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'TUF 27' winner Katona explains initial shock at UFC release

Jeff Bottari / UFC / Getty

"The Ultimate Fighter 27" winner Brad Katona was taken by surprise when his coach John Kavanagh revealed in November that the UFC had released him.

"I was, at first, kind of shocked," Katona told theScore. "With my last fight, I think mostly just like in stats, I won every single step in the fight itself. I'm not saying it was the worst decision in the world. I'm sure a lot of people watching thought I lost and that's fine. You think, if anything, the Canadian judges would side with a Canadian."

Katona (8-2) is coming off a unanimous decision loss to American Hunter Azure at UFC Vancouver in September 2019. Media members were split on the outcome, according to MMADecisions. Six scored the fight for Katona, one had it a draw, and four gave the nod to Azure.

It was the second straight loss for the Canadian bantamweight, which prompted his release. Kavanagh first heard the news from UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby when the pair were looking to book the 28-year-old's next fight.

The Dublin native wanted to keep his release quiet until he signed with another promotion, but that still hasn't materialized. When news of his status as a free agent became public last week, Katona decided to set the record straight via Instagram.

The SBG Ireland product felt his success on "The Ultimate Fighter" should have been weighed more in the UFC's decision.

"If we're looking at who I beat on 'The Ultimate Fighter': Bryce Mitchell is 12-0 now; Kyler Phillips just signed with the UFC," he said. "So I'm seeing that and I'm like, 'Well damn, you know, I beat those guys.' That doesn't feel fair you know? They've released a number of other fighters before ... some of them had three losses in a row."

Katona's aware that his inability to earn a stoppage victory during his UFC tenure likely played a role in his release. However, the University of Manitoba alumnus claims it wasn't for a lack of effort.

"It's not like I didn't try to finish them," Katona explained. "I think some of it was the guys I was fighting. Now, I wish I had dynamite in my hands while I touch (my opponents) and they fall down. Do you know how much easier that would make my job? So really, I'm trying to add that into my game."

Bellator would seem like an obvious long-term home for Katona, with a number of his SBG Ireland teammates already competing for the promotion. However, Katona isn't ruling out a return to the UFC later this year, especially with the promotion hosting an event in Dublin on Aug. 15.

"As long as I stay healthy, there's no reason why I can't get two fights (with any promotion), two impressive finishes," he added. "August 15 gives me enough time to work towards that. So you know, we have options. That UFC Dublin (event) sounds perfect. We'll work towards that but mostly make ourselves undeniable (to get re-signed) and that's it."

The full video interview with Katona will be released next week on theScoreMMA podcast. In the meantime, subscribe to our Youtube channel here.

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