Longtime UFC Lightweight contender, Melvin Guillard, was released from the UFC earlier this week after a nine year run inside the organization. Guillard most recently fought at UFC Fight Night 37 in London, losing to former training partner, Michael Johnson by unanimous decision.

Guillard was criticized by both Johnson and Dana White for refusing to engage during the fight. It was certainly an off performance from Guillard, who usually is one of the most exciting fighters in the world.

Guillard was on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour yesterday to discuss being cut by the UFC, and his reaction may surprise you:

I was happy. I gave the UFC nine years. I gave them a good nine years. Honestly I gave them one bad performance, which was the London fight (against Johnson). I had two busted ribs, a busted hand in the first round, but I didn’t make any excuses in the fight. I stayed in there, I fought. I could’ve been like most fighters and just threw in the towel when I got up off the seat, but I was fighting injured. I didn’t expect to get released. I just expected (UFC matchmaker) Joe (Silva) to do the normal thing he does and sit me down for like six months, and make me ask him for a fight. But I ended up getting released, and for me, honestly, I thought it was the best thing that could happen to me right now at this point in my career. Now I can go move on with my life. I can go sign with another company, another company is going to pay me, probably, way more than I was making in the UFC. And at that point now, I have a chance to make some decent money in my career.

It seems that Guillard is on his way to either the World Series of Fighting or Bellator. First reports are stating that Bellator is not interested, so we will see what happens with Guillard in the future. FanSided will keep you up to date when any new information is made available.