Welcome to the UFC 114 edition of Who’s On The Hot Seat. We’ll take a look at which particular fighters may find themselves unemployed after Saturday night.
Ryan Jensen
Jensen hasn’t fared too well during his time in the Octagon. In two separate stints with the UFC, Jensen has amassed an unimpressive 1-4 record. His lone win came against Steve Steinbeiss at UFC Fight Night 19. He was thrown around and beaten up by the emerging Mark Munoz at UFC 108 in January, marking the third time in his four UFC losses that the fight ended in the first round. He can’t afford another loss. Anything other than a win will mark the end of the road for Jensen.
Jesse Forbes
A veteran of season three of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Forbes is also working on his second tour of duty with the organization. After losing during The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale to Matt Hamill, Forbes was sent back to work on his game on the regional circuit. He was brought back to face Nick Catone at UFC Fight Night 20 this past January where he suffered a split decision loss. He can ill afford a third loss this Saturday night.
Joe Brammer
Anyone who starts their UFC career with two consecutive losses usually doesn’t get a third opportunity. They may be brought back somewhere down the line after winning a few bouts fighting elsewhere, but it’s tough to keep your job in a stacked lightweight division without being successful. Brammer lost his UFC debut to Mark Bocek via first round submission and if he loses to Aaron Riley he will most likely be given a pink slip.
Dan Lauzon
It’s hard to imagine how much pressure Lauzon is feeling these days. Having split from his gym and trainers, including his brother Joe, Lauzon is facing an uphill battle. If that wasn’t bad enough, he is facing one of the better lightweight prospects in the UFC in Efrain Escudero. Lauzon showed off some of the talent that got him to the UFC in his loss to Cole Miller at UFC 108, but inevitably fell victim to a creative submission by Miller. At 22-years-old, he still has a long way to go, but he can’t survive another loss here. There is no doubt that Dana White and Joe Silva know what’s been going on and they will not keep him around unless he scores a big upset.
Dan Miller
With his bout now occupying the co-main event slot on Saturday night, Miller is also under the gun to perform. Miller started his UFC career with three straight wins, but has gone on to suffer two consecutive losses. Granted those losses came to former UFC middleweight championship contender Demain Maia and the current number one contender Chael Sonnen, they are losses none the less. If Miller loses to Michael Bisping, but puts on a great fight that is a back and forth affair, he may have a shot at keeping his job. If he gets finished or puts on a lackluster performance he will be searching for a new job next week.