UFC 137: Is This Tyson Griffin's Last Shot at Staying in the UFC?

At one point in time, Tyson Griffin was part of the top echelon of the lightweight division.  He always seemed to be one loss removed from contendership, but he was fun to watch, often winning Fight of the Night and rarely losing.

Then he dropped three straight fights.

The first was a split decision to Evan Dunham, who clearly won the fight even though one judge didn't seem to think so.  The next was indisputable, as he was knocked unconscious by Takanori Gomi in the first round.  The last was against Nik Lentz in a highly controversial loss that many thought Griffin won.

After those fights, Griffin decided to drop to featherweight and ended up beating former featherweight title challenger Manny Gamburyan, though it was by majority decision.  Normally, this would mean that Griffin is at least safe for his next fight, but there are plenty of great featherweights in the world hungry for a shot at the UFC, and he is 1-3 in his last four fights.

And then there is his opponent.

Bart Palaszewski is coming off a loss to Kamal Shalrous, though it was a split decision.  However, Palaszewski has won his last four fights before that.

Both men could use a win, but it's tough to say how much both need one.  Griffin won his last fight, but he has been through a rough stretch. Palaszewski, on the other hand, has won most of his recent fights, having just barely lost his last one.

Overall, it seems like they are both on middle ground and can afford one more loss.  However, Griffin also failed to make weight and came in at 148.  It's well-known that Dana White hates it when fighters don't make weight, and Griffin missed it by three pounds. That might have dispelled a lot of good will that White might have given Griffin should he lose tonight.

Of course, Griffin might win, and then he will win a reprieve no matter what. We'll just have to wait and see tonight.