Daniel Marcos Left the UFC at 5-1 — and He Still Can't Explain Why

Daniel Marcos won five of his six UFC fights, including a November decision over Miles Johns, and the promotion still let him walk. Six months later the 33-year-old Peruvian was told his contract wouldn't be renewed, and now he's an 18-1 bantamweight fighting for the PFL. His league debut lands Saturday at PFL Tampa against Magomed Magomedov.

Marcos says he still has no idea why the deal never came. His only UFC defeat was a decision to Montel Jackson in May 2025 — one loss across his entire 19-fight career — and he'd been training since January expecting a new booking that never materialized. He told MMA Fighting he was genuinely surprised and kept asking himself why it happened.

Out of the UFC, Into the PFL

The timing was brutal but the recovery was fast. Marcos said the exit was hard to process, that learning you're no longer part of a company stings, but that he feels calmer now and still believes he belongs among the elite. He credits his faith and insists he had much more to show inside the Octagon.

The market agreed. Once word of his release circulated on May 29, the PFL reached out to his team the very next day with a multi-fight offer. A Russian-based promotion also came calling, according to Marcos, but the PFL moved quickest. He said he wasn't about to waste an opportunity sitting right in front of him.

The Man Standing Across From Him

Magomedov is no soft landing. He bounced back from a knockout loss to Sergio Pettis by outpointing Leandro Higo in his most recent outing, which makes him a live test for a newcomer trying to make a statement. Marcos said his plan is simple: come out aggressive and assert dominance in every phase.

And he's not thinking small. Marcos said he always looks to the top of the division, name-checking Pettis as the man at No. 1, and made clear he wants PFL gold as soon as the chance appears. Victorious in 18 of 19 pro fights, he's betting the second act writes itself.