Dani Barez's time in the UFC has officially come to an end. The Valencian fighter is no longer part of the company's roster after several days of rumors and internal movements after UFC Vegas 117.
The news is a hard blow for the Spanish MMA, especially since Barez had been pursuing the dream of consolidating himself within the largest organization in the world for years.
His departure comes after falling by unanimous decision against Luis Gurule in a fight where he once again showed heart, resistance and competitiveness, but where the result ended up leaving his contractual situation practically sentenced.
Barez leaves the UFC with a record of one win and three losses within the company. Beyond the record, his time in the organization leaves a bitter feeling because many of his fights were marked by complicated circumstances, long periods of inactivity and extremely tough opponents for someone who arrived late to the elite.
His debut in UFC came in July 2023 against Brazilian Jafel Filho. That night ended with a submission defeat in the first round, in a fight where the Valencian felt the pressure and the level of the debut.
Even so, far from disappearing, Barez managed to rebuild himself.
In September 2024 probably came the best moment of his career in the company. The Spaniard defeated Victor Altamirano by unanimous decision in UFC Paris, thus getting his first victory inside the octagon. That performance restored hope to both the fighter and many Spanish fans, who saw in him an example of perseverance within an extremely cruel sport.
But the dynamic went wrong again.
In March 2025 he was submitted to André Lima in a complicated fight where the Brazilian clearly imposed his grappling. That defeat left Barez in a delicate situation within the flyweight division.
Then came the final fight against Luis Gurule.
The Valencian returned after more than a year without competing and with the total pressure of knowing that continuity in the company was probably at stake. During the fight he showed courage and competitive moments, but Gurule ended up imposing more pace and pressure during the three rounds.
Later, Barez himself revealed that he had fought with a broken hand after one of the exchanges of the fight.
The exit from the UFC puts an end to a very particular journey.
Because Dani Barez was never the typical young prospect built from hype. He arrived late to the big international scene, after years fighting on the European circuit, working outside the sport and building his career practically from the bottom.
Before entering UFC he went through important promotions on the European scene and even became champion in BAMMA, in addition to competing on very tough international stages.
His story was always linked to sacrifice. From working as a cook or clerk to ending up fighting in Las Vegas against some of the best flyweights on the planet.
In addition, Barez represented for years a generation of the Spanish MMA that had to make its way long before the current media explosion of the sport in Spain.
Although his time in UFC ends here, many within the Spanish community still greatly value what he achieved. Reaching the world elite at over 34 years old, after so many obstacles and without a gigantic structure behind him, is not something that many fighters can say.
Now it remains to be seen what the next step of his career will be.
With experience, a name on the European circuit and still competitive ability, it would not be strange to see him continue fighting in important promotions outside of UFC.
Because although his adventure in the company is over... Dani Barez continues to be one of the most respected names in the Spanish MMA.