At UFC Fight Night 74, rising 145-pound contenders Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira will meet in an important bout that could put the winner into title-shot conversations.
Holloway has won six in a row and most recently submitted Cub Swanson in April. Oliveira, meanwhile, has picked up four straight victories, including three submissions.
While Holloway and Swanson should have UFC roster spots locked up for several years, some UFC Fight Night 74 competitors aren’t in that great of a situation. Here are the individuals sitting on the hot seat heading into the event in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on Saturday.
Josh Burkman
With a win over former UFC title challenger Jon Fitch, Josh Burkman earned his way back onto the UFC roster by making some noise under the World Series of Fighting banner. However, he hasn’t had success inside the Octagon since returning to the big show.
Although it was overturned to a no-contest, Burkman had a poor showing against Hector Lombard at UFC 182. Then, he was submitted by Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 187 in May.
Despite the slip-ups, Burkman is now set to take on Patrick Cote, who is coming off of a win. Still, this will likely be a must-win matchup for him.
A loss wouldn’t technically be three in a row, but it would be a 0-2 run with the world’s top MMA promotion, which is regularly grounds for release from the organization.
Sam Stout and Frankie Perez
He’s closing in on a decade under UFC contract, but Sam Stout’s anniversary could depend on a win over Frankie Perez this weekend.
Known for having an outstanding chin throughout most of his career, Stout has not been able to go the distance in either of his past two outings. That said, he was knocked out by two solid strikers, Ross Pearson and K.J. Noons.
This is the first time since 2007 that Stout has lost two in a row, but the UFC matchmakers were kind to him this time around. Competing in his home country of Canada, Stout will meet an opponent who is 0-1 inside the Octagon.
In January, Perez made his UFC debut opposite Johnny Case and was stopped in the third round. It is rough that he has now been paired with a veteran like Stout, but there is a good chance that Perez will still need a win on Saturday in order to keep his UFC career going.
Shane Campbell
Making his UFC debut in April, Shane Campbell was knocked out by John Makdessi.
At UFC Fight Night 74, Campbell will face a much different opponent, but the stakes will be even higher. Elias Silverio will be a threat on the ground rather than in the striking department, but he could knock Campbell out of the UFC roster with a win this weekend.
Only 28 years old, Campbell would have time to earn his way back to the Octagon. However, he can avoid having to do so by picking up his first UFC victory against Silverio.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com