Oba Femi’s time at the top of WWE NXT has come to a sudden and dramatic end.

Oba Femi officially vacated the NXT Championship following his successful title defense in the main event of NXT New Year’s Evil on January 6. Competing in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center, Femi defeated TNA X Division Champion Leon Slater to retain the gold. What followed was completely unexpected. After the referee raised his hand, Femi placed the championship belt in the middle of the ring and walked away, silently signaling that his run on the brand had reached its conclusion.

WWE later confirmed the decision via social media, announcing that Femi has officially vacated the championship. The company added that further details surrounding the future of the title will be revealed soon. The move comes as video packages for Femi continue to air on both WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown, strongly suggesting that his next chapter will take place on the main roster.

Femi exits NXT as one of the most dominant champions in the brand’s history. His reign included a record setting 273 day run as NXT North American Champion, establishing him as a cornerstone of the division and a constant presence at the top of the card.

With the title now vacant, multiple stars wasted no time making their intentions known. Ricky Saints appeared earlier in the night to stake his claim, reminding fans that he is tied 1 to 1 with Femi and declaring that he plans to show the locker room what a real star looks like.

The closing moments of the show added even more intrigue. Tony D’Angelo was shown lurking in the crowd as the camera focused on the abandoned championship in the ring. D’Angelo is no stranger to holding gold, having previously reigned as North American Champion for 147 days.

NXT General Manager Ava also hinted that 2026 will bring major opportunities across the brand. She confirmed that Trick Williams and Je’von Evans have officially been called up to the main roster, further reshaping the NXT landscape as a new era begins.

🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨

After his victory at #NewYearsEvil, Oba Femi has officially vacated the #WWENXT Championship. Stay tuned for more details. pic.twitter.com/NwMFVOuJjG

, WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 7, 2026