WASHINGTON – Liz Carmouche thinks her sudden release from the UFC could have been better handled.

An Iraq War veteran in the Marine Corps, Carmouche (13-7 MMA, 5-5 UFC) was brought out for UFC DC fight week to serve as a guest fighter in the nation’s capital and to participate in promotional appearances, including a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Friday, in the midst of the fight-week happenings, Carmouche was notified she had been cut from the UFC. The move, she claims, was made a while back, but she was not notified until her management called her Friday.

A UFC official told MMA Junkie that matchmakers were not aware Carmouche was in Washington at the time of her release.

“I’m a little bit pained,” Carmouche told MMA Junkie. “They brought me out here and had me doing a lot of media obligations. I went to Arlington Cemetery and was part of the wreath ceremony. They brought me out as a veteran and as a fighter. Then today they had me going to the hospital and talking to different people and different wards – only to find out that I’d been released earlier. The news just finally trickled down to me.”

A two-time UFC title challenger, Carmouche is having a tough time wrapping her head around the situation. Carcmouhe believes she could have been home making money at work instead of doing the tour, and wasn’t happy the UFC didn’t even tell her to her face that she had been cut.

“It’s a little bit insane that you would (do that),” Carmouche said. “I took time off from work to be here at my own pocket expense. It’s a little bit sad. Then, two, that it would be done that way … I’m here with the UFC and you could have actually spoken to me firsthand then hear it from my management team.

“Especially during the holiday season. I have a four-year-old at home. My wife is at home and I’d love to be spending it with them. Especially saving up as much money to spoil them for Christmas. To take a week off from that definitely sucks and is kind of a setback. And to be done this way is definitely not a great taste.”

Additionally, Carmouche said she was wasn’t given a reason for her release. Carmouche, who has won four of her past six fights, indicated the news came as a surprise, especially considering she had most recently competed in a UFC title fight in August and had soon thereafter inked a new contract.

Trying to view the situation through a positive lens, Carmouche said she’s excited to explore free agency. For years, she’s received offers from other promotions, but didn’t consider them.

“It definitely sucks, but at the same time, I know it’s for good reason,” Carmouche said. “There are a lot more positive things in my future. There’s been all different organizations that have been contacting me for years now. And I just expressed my loyalty to the UFC and stayed with the organization.

“So now I can actually be a free agent and see what the best opportunity is, who is going to have the best fighters, and really I’m looking forward to that aspect of it.”

Carmouche is close with Bellator flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, and sees Bellator as potentially the next venture. But she isn’t ruling out Asia-based promotions RIZIN or ONE Championship, either.

“I stayed in the UFC because they had the top, most competitive women. Bellator is second to that and I see a lot of prospects,” Carmouche said. “They’re building their division doing a phenomenal job. (Macfarlane) has built that up and I really feel like she’s made Bellator what it is as far as the women are concerned. So I certainly don’t want to take anything from her.

“But I also know there are other organizations like RIZIN and ONE. Both have such great fighters and they’re great shows.”

Carmouche’s stint in the UFC began with the historic UFC 157 in Feb. 2013, where she took on then-bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in the main event in what was the first-ever women’s fight in the company. The bout was competitive before Rousey won via armbar late in the first round. In a trivia footnote, Carmouche’s victory over Kaitlyn Chookagian in the opening bout of UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden made her the winner of the first legally sanctioned MMA fight in New York State.

Check out MMA Junkie’s full interview with Liz Carmouche in the video above.