Without question, “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone is the fighter in the most desperate situation at UFC on Fox 10. By his own admission, he is in financial peril.
Cerrone told Majority Draw Radio: “I’m broke. I have no idea what saving money is.”
Aside from that, Cerrone has won just two of his last four bouts. While he isn’t likely sitting on the UFC’s cut line just yet, he is seemingly headed in the wrong direction.
A loss to Adriano Martins would be damaging to his current ranking and future earning potential. Cerrone needs to win the fight, and possibly a Fight Night bonus in the process.
Here’s a look at two other fighters who really need to win on Saturday.
Benson Henderson
The former lightweight champion is hellbent on regaining the title he lost to Anthony “Showtime” Pettis at UFC 164.
He is actually replacing Pettis in the UFC on Fox 10 main event where he’ll face Josh “The Punk” Thomson.
Pettis had to bow out with an injured knee.
Henderson has already lost to Pettis twice, but he’s proven to be superior to every other fighter he’s faced at 155 pounds. Henderson is proud, so one has to wonder what the lopsided loss to Pettis has done to his confidence.
Elias Cepeda of Yahoo! Sports writes:
Some losses can be so devastating for professional fighters that they are never the same afterwards. Being destroyed in the ring or cage by an opponent in front of your loved ones and the world can decimate your bank account and deflate your sense of self-worth.
Benson Henderson struggled to score takedowns, was brutally knocked around by body kicks and then submitted quickly by an arm bar. All in less than one round.
A loss to Thomson would be his second straight. It would also send him further back in the rankings and prolong another shot at the title.
The pressure is on for Henderson to prove he deserves to be the man to greet Pettis when he returns to the Octagon.
Eddie Wineland
As exciting a fighter as Wineland is, he needs a big win against a major opponent if he hopes to get another shot at the title.
Wineland has slipped to the preliminary level of a major card. He lost via a spectacular spinning back-kick to Renan Barao at UFC 165.
He is a battler, and his bout with Yves Jabouin is a candidate for Fight of the Night. He’s only 29 years old, but he’s been in a ton of wars. He’s currently ranked fourth in his weight class.
Jabouin isn’t ranked, so a loss would mean a significant drop for Wineland. Merely winning might not be enough. Wineland needs to prevail in thrilling fashion.
To add more pressure, Wineland is fighting in Chicago, which isn’t far from his hometown of Portage, Ind.
This type of win would help maintain his status as a crowd-pleasing fighter and add a much needed notch in the win column.
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