Jake Hadley Says UFC Contract Expired After Loss
Jake Hadley’s UFC tenure ended in October 2024 after a loss to short-notice debutant Cameron Smotherman, but Hadley later clarified that his contract had expired rather than that he had been “cut.” The distinction matters: roster trackers reported his removal, while Hadley’s own account described the contract decision in his words.
A short-notice loss at UFC Vegas 99
Hadley was scheduled to face Brady Hiestand on October 19, 2024. After Hiestand withdrew with an injury, the UFC announced that Dana White’s Contender Series alum Cameron Smotherman would step in. Smotherman won a unanimous decision, with the judges scoring it 29-27, 29-27 and 30-26. The UFC’s bout update documents the late replacement, and the UFC athlete record lists the result.
The defeat left Hadley with a 3-4 record in the Octagon. He had won his previous fight against Caolán Loughran at UFC 304 in July, stepping in on short notice and missing the bantamweight limit. Hadley won by unanimous decision, but the UFC record also shows that the Smotherman bout was his second straight fight accepted on limited notice.
Hadley’s account of the departure
UFC Roster Tracker reported on October 22 that Hadley was no longer on the roster. The next day, Hadley said his contract had come to an end and that he had taken two short-notice opportunities because he did not want to turn down the promotion. He also said the missed weight before the Loughran fight had counted against him. MMA Mania reported Hadley’s statement and the roster update.
What the record shows
Hadley’s exit followed an uneven UFC run: he arrived with a submission win on Dana White’s Contender Series, earned three Octagon victories, and lost four times. The sequence includes wins over Carlos Candelario, Luan Lacerda and Loughran, alongside losses to Allan Nascimento, Tagir Ulanbekov, Charles Johnson and Smotherman. His last two appearances were close together and taken on short notice, but the public record alone does not establish how much those circumstances influenced the contract decision.
Hadley said he believed he could work his way back to the UFC if he chose to pursue that route. At the time, that was his stated outlook; the roster update itself marked the end of this UFC contract, not the end of his fighting career.
