Report: Cirkunov, Story, Larkin no longer under UFC contract, turned down new deals

A trio of longtime UFC fighters could soon take their talents elsewhere.

Following a Wednesday report revealing Misha Cirkunov, Lorenz Larkin, and Rick Story were no longer under contract with the world's leading promotion, MMAjunkie's John Morgan added that all three fighters had turned down newly offered deals that would've kept them under the UFC banner.

The promotion indirectly confirmed as much by removing the trio from its rankings.

The 29-year-old Cirkunov went a perfect 4-0 in the Octagon and had been touted as an emerging contender in a light heavyweight division in dire need of new blood following his first-round submission of Nikita Krylov at UFC 206.

Larkin's departure is the least surprising, as he'd fought out his contract this past summer and hit free agency months prior to Wednesday's reports. After dropping three straight as a middleweight, "The Monsoon" emerged as an elite talent at 170 pounds, winning four of five and scoring an upset victory over Neil Magny via first-round knockout at UFC 202 in his last outing.

Easily the longest-tenured fighter of the newly departed, Story was a fixture at welterweight for over seven years, notching victories over the likes of Johny Hendricks, Thiago Alves, and Gunner Nelson. The durable 32-year-old most recently saw a three-fight win streak snapped by Donald Cerrone this past August, but held a spot in his division's top 10 prior to his removal, as did Cirkunov and Larkin.

All three fighters have plenty left in the tank, and if this does indeed spell the end of their days in the UFC, it shouldn't be long before they're scooped up by another promotion.