UFC 181: Who's on the Hot Seat This Saturday in Vegas?
One of the biggest cards of the UFC calendar is coming up fast, with UFC 181 providing a rematch of March's epic Robbie Lawler-Johny Hendricks tilt. The co-main event is also a title fight, one that pits Gilbert Melendez against Anthony Pettis for the lightweight strap.
The card is full of quality bouts, and in such an event it's inevitable that a few folks will go in sitting on the hot seat.
Here's a look at who those guys might be going into Saturday night.
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Clay Collard
Collard made a name for himself by showing up and getting into a surprising war with Max Holloway, succumbing to a late barrage of punches for a TKO loss. He impressed with his grit, but with so many athletes chomping at the bit to take his place, he can't afford to start off his UFC career with consecutive losses.
He could be saved by the fact that he competes in a traditionally thin division, but even that isn't as true as it once was. Featherweight is no joke these days, and if you can't prove you belong in a hurry, you might be on your way back to the regional shows to sharpen your craft.
That could happen to Collard with a loss at UFC 181.
Raquel Pennington
Despite being a favorite of both fans and UFC President Dana White thanks to her brawling style, there aren't many people who hang around in the UFC with a sub-.500 record.
Initially slated to face Holly Holm, Pennington will now battle Ashlee Evans-Smith after Holm suffered an injury. Though Evans-Smith is undefeated, she's still something of a prospect, and Pennington has an edge in experience.
It isn't wildly likely, but losing here to a short-notice opponent that she has the advantage over on paper might see her on the outside looking in.
Schaub is in a tough spot; He's a winner of two of his last three, but his wins have been unspectacular, and his losses have been devastating. Lose to Travis Browne at UFC 181—particularly via stoppage—and it's four losses in six outings, and there's reason to think the UFC might be done with him.
The saving grace for Schaub is that he's well-known from his run on The Ultimate Fighter a few years back, and he competes in the thinnest division in the sport. He's probably UFC-caliber on merit, but when you lose more regularly and more memorably than you win, there's always a risk you'll show up on the cuts list after an event.
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