UFC 152 officially ends a long drought that UFC 151 left behind when it got cancelled. With UFC 152 coming up though, there are multiple fighters on the card who face real risk.
There are three fighters that have the most to lose come fight night. Here are those men.
Matt Hamill
Matt Hamill returns from a brief retirement on the main card Saturday night to face tough opponent Roger Hollett. This is a big risk for Hamill, especially if he comes to the cage rusty.
Hamill not only has to prove that he is still a top-level competitor, but he has to do it against a guy trying to prove himself in Hollett.
It is Hollett‘s debut and he will be looking to make a big impression.
Don’t be fooled by Hollett. If you haven’t heard of him, look him up because he is very underrated. He is 13-3, on a five-fight win streak and has finished 11 of his wins.
In Hamill’s case, a loss here would likely finish his relationship with the UFC. He is currently riding a two-fight skid against the likes of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Alexander Gustafsson.
Despite his stellar record with the UFC, another loss would be devastating. Especially at the age of 35, he is no rookie anymore.
Hamill is a tough, skilled fighter, but he is in dire need of a win here.
Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping is always talking about how he deserves a title shot and he thinks a win over Brian Stann will earn him one, but where does he go if he loses this fight?
For one thing, Bisping is often scrutinized for not being able to get the job done against top fighters. Every time he has taken that step up in competition, he has been put away.
His last fight was a loss to Chael Sonnen. Whether or not you agree with that decision, a loss is a loss.
So, if Bisping loses here against Brian Stann, who is probably a top-15 fighter, will he ever be close enough to earn a title shot again?
One has to think probably not. A loss to Stann would push him far away from title contention, with guys like Chris Weidman, Alan Belcher and Tim Boetsch snooping around the top of the division.
This loss would leave the brash Brit between a rock and a hard place.
Jon Jones
One could say that Jon Jones is not taking any risk at all by fighting an aged middleweight like Vitor Belfort, but the scenario in which he loses makes this a huge risk for Jones.
Yes, this looks like an easy fight for Jones. But don’t underestimate the speed and power of Belfort. If he gets inside he could put Jones to sleep.
Now, I am not saying this is going to happen, quite the opposite. I think that Jones is going to manhandle Belfort in a match that was made just to draw money and keep Jones active.
But, if Jones were to lose to Belfort, it would severely hurt his legacy.
Jones better not underestimate Belfort come fight time.
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