UFC on FUEL 2: Who's on the Hot Seat?

This weekend, the UFC finally returns after an extended break in action. Live from Sweden, the main event between Alexander Gustafsson and Thiago Silva will determine who takes one step closer toward a title shot.

Below the main event, a number of UFC employees will be fighting for their jobs—the fighters coming off of losses or extended losing streaks.

They are currently on the hot seat.

Let's take a look at the fighters who need to win this weekend in order to remain in the UFC.

Jason Young

Hailing from the UK, featherweight Jason Young has backed himself into a corner. He has lost both of his UFC fights so far.

Though his losses came to top opponents Dustin Poirier and Michihiro Omigawa, losing too much is never good for job security. Young will need a victory over Eric Wisely to stay employed by the UFC.

Many fans like Young for his exciting striking. Hopefully, his striking can earn him a victory and keep him in the UFC.

Eric Wisely

Jason Young's opponent, Eric Wisely, is in a similar position as the young Brit. Wisely is also on the hot seat.

Eric Wisely entered the UFC in spectacular fashion. Unfortunately, the spectacular fashion came in the form of a submission defeat via calf slicer.

What doesn't help is the fact that he had a fight in Strikeforce, which he lost as well at the hands of Pat Healy. Should Wisely lose here, he may be looking for a new gig. 

Cyrille Diabate

Cyrille Diabate has won two fights in the Octagon thus far, but he also has dropped his other two fights via submission. That sort of inconsistency does not usually fare well for job security.

Diabate is a gifted striker but has shown that anybody with a submission game can topple him. If he is to lose here, especially by submission, he could definitely be feeling the heat. 

Diabate is definitely on the hot seat, and an underwhelming performance could get him booted from the promotion.

James Head

Although James Head is making his welterweight debut here, he is 0-1 with the UFC thus far. Head was dominated in his UFC debut, eventually tapping to Nick Ring.

His drop in weight to the welterweight division does not offer much security.

The welterweight division is a shark tank, and if Head is unable to win his fight on Saturday, he could easily find himself back in the minor leagues.

Papy Abedi

Papy Abedi, James Head's opponent, is in a similar position as Head, as he is currently 0-1 in the promotion. 

Of everybody on this list, he may have the best odds of staying employed either way. He was given a tough opponent in Thiago Alves for his UFC debut, which may pull some weight.

Either way, Abedi is definitely on the hot seat, as losing two consecutive fights in the welterweight division is never a good thing. To ease the worries, he should just earn a win here.

Damacio Page

Damacio Page is an exciting, explosive fighter in the bantamweight division, but he has to be feeling the heat coming into this bout.

He is 2-3 in his last five fights, losing his last two. He has shown that he struggles against upper-level opponents, which definitely will not help either. A majority of his losses are by submission, so if he should fall to submission again, it may not help his cause.

Page needs a win here or else he will probably not return to the Octagon for a while.

Alessio Sakara

In the co-main event of the evening, Italian striker Alessio Sakara is definitely on the hot seat—for a number of reasons.

First off, he cannot stay healthy. Fighters who stay inactive and pull from fights a lot usually do not last long. Secondly, he dropped his last fight to Chris Weidman, so that can't help either.

It might be the end for Alessio Sakara if he cannot win here, so it is vital that he grab a victory.