'TUF 17' veteran Luke Barnatt announces release from UFC after three-fight skid

Luke Barnatt

Luke Barnatt, the top pick on Season 17 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and winner of his first three UFC bouts, has been released from the UFC.

The middleweight fighter announced the news on via Instagram.

So looks like my journey with the @ufc is over. It all started 6 years ago when I walked into the @tsunamigymcambridge with @jackstonemason and I've never looked back..

A photo posted by Luke Barnatt (@lukebarnatt) on Jun 4, 2015 at 2:23pm PDT

“So looks like my journey with the @ufc is over,” Barnatt wrote. “It all started 6 years ago when I walked into the @tsunamigymcambridge with @jackstonemason and I’ve never looked back.”

Barnatt (8-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) was the first pick of coach Chael Sonnen on his season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” advancing to the quarterfinals before being stopped by Dylan Andrews.

He beat Collin Hart at the TUF 17 Finale, then rattled off two more wins, stopping Andrew Craig and Mats Nilsson. His submission win over Craig earned him a “Fight of the Night” bonus. Following his three-fight winning streak in the octagon, Barnatt had a reversal of fortune.

Back-to-back split-decision losses put him in danger of becoming expendable heading into the unenviable position of facing retiring fan favorite Mark Munoz in front of a rabid Filipino fanbase. Munoz put on a career-best performance, dominating Barnatt from bell to bell in what for now will be Barnatt’s final UFC bout.

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