In the wild, there are young and hungry lions who are waiting for the opportunity to establish their dominance. When a member of the pack can’t keep up with the rest, he will inevitably be replaced by someone stronger and faster than himself.
While the eight-sided cages of the UFC are a far stretch from the plains of the Serengeti, the same struggle for contention happens under the Zuffa umbrella on a regular basis. Competitive fighters hit a rough patch and quickly find themselves ejected from their surroundings. New stars from the regional circuit are brought in to replace them, and the cycle begins anew.
Enough of the lame safari metaphors. Here is a look at 10 fighters who could find themselves in the unemployment line if their next fight doesn’t go the way that they’d like.