At UFC Fight Night 67, welterweight contender Carlos Condit will make his long-awaited return against a resurgent Thiago Alves.
Condit last appeared at UFC 171, where he suffered a knee injury during the second round of his bout with Tyron Woodley. The Natural Born Killer was not able to continue competing and has spent the past 14 months recovering.
Out of action for two years, missing all of the 2013 calendar, Alves has dealt with some injury woes of his own. However, the former title challenger has gotten back to competing regularly and now owns two straight wins. Another against Condit would put Pitbull back in title shot conversation.
Both Condit and Alves should have UFC roster spots for the rest of their MMA careers. However, some UFC Fight Night 67 competitors are not so lucky. Here are the individuals sitting on the hot seat heading into the weekend’s event in Goiania, Brazil.
Alex Oliveira
In March, Oliveira made his UFC debut opposite Gilbert Burns, and Burns submitted him in the third round.
Despite the slip-up to start his career with the world’s top MMA organization, Oliveira has an even bigger bout coming up this weekend. Following a Yan Cabral injury, Oliveira has stepped in as a replacement opponent for KJ Noons on short notice.
Normally, a competitor with a 0-1 UFC record would be in a must-win situation. Because he’s helping the UFC out and competing against an opponent whom he has little chance of beating, though, Oliveira should get a third chance to compete inside the Octagon regardless of the result on Saturday.
That said, he could blow it by missing weight or causing any other headaches for the promotion.
Wendell Oliveira
Following a loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio in his UFC debut, Wendell Oliveira has had two separate bouts with TJ Waldburger canceled.
At UFC Fight Night 61, a contest between Oliveira and Waldburger was cancelled due to the American fainting during his weight cut. Now, Waldburger pulled out of this weekend’s event due to back spasms.
Darren Till has stepped in as Oliveira‘s UFC Fight Night 67 opponent after Waldburger‘s most recent withdrawal. While Till is a solid, undefeated prospect, he has no UFC experience. So Oliveira will need to pick up a win in his home country.
An 0-2 UFC record with a loss to a promotional newcomer would almost guarantee Oliveira‘s return to regional competition.
Luiz Dutra
It has been 16 months since Luiz Dutra made his UFC debut, which ended in a disqualification loss to Kiichi Kunimoto due to strikes to the back of the head.
While Dutra beat himself in his lone Octagon appearance, he still enters this weekend with an 0-1 UFC record, which almost always put a fighter on the hot seat. If Dutra had been paired with a more proven opponent, that might not be the case, but Besouro has been paired with a UFC newcomer.
Should Dutra lose to Tom Breese at UFC Fight Night 67, there is a very good chance the company will release him.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com