The UFC is at it again. One event wasn’t enough for this weekend, as the promotion will host fight cards in San Antonio and Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday.
First, UFC Fight Night 43 will get started at 2:30 a.m. ET and will remain on UFC Fight Pass through the main event between New Zealand’s own James Te Huna and Nate Marquardt. Headlined by Cub Swanson and Jeremy Stephens, UFC Fight Night 44 will commence at 7:30 p.m. ET.
While Swanson and Stephens will be looking to make their cases for a shot at the featherweight championship, Te Huna and Marquardt might be competing for much different stakes. Both fighters have been slumping, so they could be battling for their UFC careers on Saturday.
Here are the fighters who are sitting on the hot seat heading into this weekend’s UFC events.
James Te Huna and Nate Marquardt
Not long ago, Te Huna had won four fights in a row and was prepared to make his ascension into the light heavyweight division. However, when the step up in competition came, Te Huna was not ready for Glover Teixeira or Mauricio Rua.
Marquardt has also fallen off the map rather quickly. Three fights ago, Marquardt had a Strikeforce belt around his waist and had picked up a knockout win over Tyron Woodley. Now, he’s suffered three straight losses and could be nearing the end of his MMA career.
Because they are relatively notable names and they are moving divisions, Te Huna and Marquardt could be salvaged should they put on a spectacular brawl. However, in the event one fighter gets dominated, it’s likely he’ll no longer be with the world’s top MMA organization.
Robert Whittaker and Mike Rhodes
After winning The Ultimate Fighter: Smashes, Robert Whittaker looked excellent in a knockout win over Colton Smith. The New Zealand native was looking like a very bright prospect at the time, but he has since dropped two in a row.
Still only 23 years old, Whittaker could be a future star at 170 pounds. So, his promotion is probably hoping its TUF winner gets back on track soon.
Now, UFC matchmakers appear to be looking to do just that by matching him up with Mike Rhodes. At 24 years old, Rhodes is a bright welterweight, but he was defeated by George Sullivan in his lone UFC showing.
With three losses in a row, Whittaker would hit the magic number that usually results in UFC fighters being released. Likewise, an 0-2 start for Rhodes would almost certainly put him on the chopping block.
Richie Vaculik
In his UFC debut, Richie Vaculik was steamrolled by the up-and-coming Justin Scoggins.
At 31 years old, Vaculik is not going to develop much more than he already has. So, he’ll have to deliver in his next outing to prove he belongs at this level.
Facing UFC newcomer Roldan Sangcha-an on Saturday, Vaculik must win, or else he’ll have to return to smaller shows.
Chris Indich and Vik Grujic
I’m not exactly sure what Chris Indich and Vik Grujic are still doing around the Octagon.
Neither reached the finals on TUF: Nations, and both lost to fellow TUF contestants in their official UFC debuts. That almost always results in fighters not being signed to additional UFC bouts.
However, Indich and Grujic have been given another chance against one another. Both Australians aren’t going to survive another loss, though. The loser of this bout will be released.
Sean O’Connell
Ryan Jimmo isn’t an elite light heavyweight, but he’s a tough matchup for a UFC newcomer. Sean O’Connell came up short against the Canadian in his Octagon debut and will look to get into the win column this weekend.
At 30 years old, O’Connell needs to perform now. If he gets bounced from the world’s top promotion, he could be nearing the end of his career by the time he earns another shot with the big show.
Gian Villante is more experienced at this level than O’Connell, but he’s beatable. O’Connell has to beat Villante to remain on the UFC roster.
Colton Smith
The wrestling that carried Colton Smith to a win over Mike Ricci in the TUF 16 finals has not translated to success against more established UFC fighters.
Smith has been stopped in his two fights since winning the UFC reality show. As a result, he finds himself in a desperate situation heading into the weekend.
Facing UFC newcomer Carlos Diego Ferreira, Smith has a great opportunity to get back into the win column. However, any kind of loss would punch his ticket back to smaller shows.
Cody Gibson
Add Cody Gibson to the list of 0-1 UFC fighters competing this weekend.
The 26-year-old has a promising future ahead, but he’s in a bad position already. Born in Oklahoma, Gibson should have a lot of support in San Antonio, though.
Still, Johnny Bedford isn’t going to make things easy on Gibson. The TUF veteran has proven he belongs at this level and will be looking to show that Gibson doesn’t on Saturday.
Andy Enz
Alaskan Andy Enz is one of the more promising fighters listed here, but that doesn’t absolve him from his 0-1 UFC record.
Enz gave Clint Hester a very competitive fight at UFC 169, but he did end up losing. Falling to 0-2 inside the Octagon would be bad news for the 22-year-old.
Opposite Marcelo Guimaraes, Enz finds himself in a very winnable matchup, though. The Brazilian is 1-1 inside the Octagon and is also still trying to prove himself at the highest level.
Ray Borg
Finally, Ray Borg wraps up the weekend of a million potential roster cuts.
Only 20 years old, Borg should have a long career ahead of him whether it is with the UFC or not. However, he didn’t do himself any favors by losing to Dustin Ortiz in his Octagon debut.
The loss has put Borg in a must-win situation. A decisive loss to UFC newcomer Shane Howell on Saturday would likely send Borg back to less desirable promotions.
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