Oh boy, UFC on ESPN 55 really lived up to the hype, didn’t it? Those 13 fights at the Apex Facility in Vegas were something else. And now, we’re off to Rio for UFC 301. Can you believe it? Alexandre Pantoja is leading the charge this time.
Alex Perez’s knockout win was the talk of the town. Seriously, it was like a bolt from the blue, shaking up the whole 125-pound division. But it wasn’t just about Perez shining; it left a bunch of fighters in a tough spot. Some of them might even be staring down the barrel of a UFC goodbye. Ouch.
Let’s talk about Na Liang for a sec. Remember when she was the first woman signed from the UFC Academy Combine in Shanghai? That was huge. But, man, things haven’t been going her way. Four fights in and she’s been stopped in all of them. The latest? A submission loss to Ivana Petrovic. Despite showing some spark standing up, once it went to the ground, it was all Petrovic. That arm-triangle choke was tight.
Even with the flyweight division needing more fighters, four straight stoppage losses are a bad look. It’s tough out there.
Now, onto other fighters like Gabriel Benitez and Tim Means. They’re kinda on thin ice, but maybe not as much as you’d think. The UFC usually gives more leeway to its regulars. Benitez has been in the Octagon 15 times, and Means? A whopping 29. So, they might have a bit more room to breathe.
And for fighters like Marnic Mann, Caio Machado, Michal Figlak, and Austen Lane, who haven’t had the smoothest ride in the UFC, there’s still a glimmer of hope. After all, the UFC’s not too quick to cut fighters after just a couple of losses. So, fingers crossed for them, huh?