Ultimate Fighting Championship did not pay the merits for the promotion.
Rock was released from the UFC after the loss Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady at
UFC London last March, taking his promotional record to 0-2. The Englishman admits he didn’t expect to be released by the UFC and thought he would be offered at least one more bout after fighting the injured Al-Selwady.
Why Shem Rock thought accepting a UFC London fight would earn him another chance
Despite the injury, Rock accepted the Al-Selwady fight, hoping the UFC would pay him back with another fight. However, he has now moved on as he realizes that this is a crazy industry.
“I was surprised; I thought I was going to get at least one more,” Rock told Home of Fight. “Especially the last one, I didn’t want to do UFC London; I was injured. I felt like I went above and beyond. I felt like I should have just stayed on the bench; I thought it was a deal, ‘You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.’ I’m not crying over spilled milk lately. I get it, it’s for me. It’s for you.” what is it, i’m not making excuses.
Rock (11-3-1) has now found a new home
Professional fighter league. The 33-year-old is set to make his promotional debut against Connor Hughes at
PFL Dubai November 14 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
👀 Shem Rock opens up about his UFC release and says he was shocked to get the walking papers after his last loss. “I was surprised, I thought the UFC would give me another one. I felt I went above and beyond, I didn’t want to do UFC London. I did it injured. I felt like I should have just stayed on the bench, I thought it was ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’. It’s more about what you’ve done recently, it’s done for me. via: @Home_of_Fight / @JakeNoecker
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight)
November 5, 2026