Mark Coleman Released from the UFC

To quote The Doors, "this is the end."

According to FiveouncesofPain Mark Coleman has been released from the UFC. Coleman recently fought and lost to Randy Couture in the main event of UFC 109. In the aftermath of the fight Dana White stated his belief that Coleman had fought his, "last fight in the UFC."

Mark's second run with the UFC began in 2008 when the former PRIDE fighter came out of retirement. Coleman was initially scheduled to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 87 but an injury forced Mark to withdraw. Colman finally made his debut at UFC 93 in January of 2009 in a rematch against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Mark lost the bout and was schedule to fight Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100. Most observers assumed that this was a retirement bout for Coleman but Mark still had some gas left in the tank as he pulled the upset.

While many observers assumed that Coleman would be cut if he lost to Couture, an altercation with Tito Ortiz (video below) opened a window for another fight for the "Godfather of ground-and-pound."

Update: Coleman told MMA Fighting that he doesn't know whether he has been released or not.

Jonathan Snowden explains why Coleman went from UFC headliner to unemployed in just a few days.

Instead, he's a 45 year old man without a job.  In tough economic times.  With nothing on his resume except "cage fighter."  UFC officials think it is for the best.  No one, a UFC insider told me, wanted to let Coleman go.  But after Saturday's shellacking at the hands of Couture, there was a feeling that stepping back in the cage was not in Coleman's best interest.  "It's never easy for an athlete to hear it's over," a source close to the situation said. UFC officials felt, in good conscience, they couldn't let Coleman fight again. "We were looking at a potential death in the Octagon."

SBN coverage of UFC 109: Relentless

SBN coverage of UFC 109: Relentless