Headlined by elite 145-pounders Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson, UFC Fight Night 57 could produce featherweight champion Jose Aldo’s next challenger.
Edgar is only two bouts removed from a loss to Aldo, but he’s rebounded in a big way. After beating Charles Oliveira, Edgar coached opposite B.J. Penn on The Ultimate Fighter before stopping the lightweight legend in a July meeting. Having given Aldo one of his more competitive contests, Edgar might not be far away from earning a rematch with the Brazilian titleholder.
Since losing to Ricardo Lamas in his UFC debut, Swanson has been tearing through his competition. The former WEC contender has won six straight bouts, recording four knockouts along the way. It’s been over five years since Swanson’s knockout loss to Aldo, so seven straight wins should be enough to earn him a rematch with the 145-pound king.
While UFC Fight Night 57 is topped with a very important bout between featherweight contenders, the card does have some matchups on the other end of the spectrum. Multiple fighters could be competing to simply retain their UFC roster spots.
Here are the individuals sitting on the hot seat heading into Saturday’s event in Austin, Texas.
Chico Camus
In his past two appearances, Chico Camus has had a win overturned due to a failed drug test and lost to Chris Holdsworth. While he hasn’t had the worst run we’ve seen inside the Octagon, Camus clearly knows he needs to make some changes in order to stick around long term.
After a handful of UFC appearances at 135 pounds, Camus has decided to make a move to the flyweight division. He won’t be eased into the weight class, though, as Camus is booked to meet No. 11 contender Brad Pickett.
Losing to Pickett isn’t likely to guarantee that Camus will get released. However, losing along with another mistake outside the Octagon, such as failing another drug test or missing weight, could cost Camus big.
Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Following a win over Yves Edwards in his UFC debut, Isaac Vallie-Flagg has stumbled in back-to-back outings. He’s now in danger of losing three in a row, a streak that usually results in a competitor being released from the UFC roster.
Vallie-Flagg hasn’t exactly been handed an easy win either, as he’s expected to meet solid veteran Matt Wiman this weekend. That said, if there is a good time to meet Wiman with one’s UFC career on the line, it’d be now. It has been 22 months since Wiman last stepped into the Octagon and 26 months since his most recent UFC victory.
In that sense, things aren’t looking so bad for Vallie-Flagg. However, at 36 years old, the Jackson-Wink MMA product can’t afford to slip up, or he may never make his way back to the big show.
Roger Narvaez
In June, Roger Narvaez debuted opposite Patrick Cummins. The matchup did not allow Narvaez to make a good first impression on UFC fans, as he was stopped with strikes in the second round.
Now, Narvaez is in a common, undesirable position. Should he win at UFC Fight Night 57, he could be on track toward a long, successful UFC career. However, a loss on Saturday would drop him to 0-2 inside the Octagon, which almost always results in a fighter being let go.
So, against another tough opponent in Luke Barnatt, Narvaez will need to bring his best this weekend.
Yves Edwards and Akbarh Arreola
Had Yancy Medeiros not failed a drug test following his then-knockout win at UFC Fight Night 31, Edwards would be riding four consecutive losses. Retained by the UFC due to his entertaining style, Edwards will look to prevent four straight defeats from becoming a reality on Saturday.
Following a loss to Tiago Trator in his UFC debut, Akbarh Arreola will arguably take a step up in competition to meet Edwards. One of the more talented Mexicans on the UFC roster, Arreola could get a big boost in popularity as the sport grows in his home country, but he’ll probably need to win at UFC Fight Night 57 in order to see that happen.
Edwards is very popular among MMA fans, but it’s hard to envision the UFC keeping him around should his struggles continue against Arreola. Likewise, an 0-2 start would probably mean the end of Arreola‘s UFC career, at least for the time being.
Juan Puig
In July, Juan Puig made his UFC debut against Adriano Martins and was knocked out in the opening round. It was a tough matchup to start his career with the world’s top MMA organization, so Puig will no doubt welcome a sophomore outing opposite a UFC newcomer.
On Saturday, Puig will meet Dooho Choi, a Korean featherweight with an 11-1 record in smaller promotions. It’s a favorable matchup for Puig, but that also means it will be necessary that the Mexican wins this weekend.
An 0-2 start would likely mean Puig‘s release from the UFC roster. At 25 years old, Puig would have time to earn his way back, but he’d obviously prefer to develop inside the Octagon.
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