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UFC 299 takes place this weekend, and the card is packed with major stars in big-time fights.
Due to the loaded nature of UFC 299 and the big fights set to take place, there will be huge pressure on some of the fighters in action.
In fact, it could be argued that a handful of them simply cannot afford anything but a victory when they step into the octagon this weekend.
Here are five fighters who cannot afford to lose at UFC 299.
#5. Curtis Blaydes – UFC heavyweight
One fighter who has a lot of pressure on his shoulders coming into UFC 299 this weekend is heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes.
Once considered the ‘next big thing’ in the heavyweight division, ‘Razor’ still sits at No.5 in the rankings and is still one of the most dangerous fighters in the division.
However, a perceived dull fighting style and a penchant for suffering knockout losses to heavy hitters has always kept him away from a title shot – and has often kept him in Dana White’s bad books too.
Now 33 years old, it’s hard to label Blaydes a future contender any more, and it’s arguable that he’s been outshone by younger talents like interim titleholder Tom Aspinall and his opponent this weekend, Jailton Almeida.
The powerful wrestler has never lost two fights in a row in the octagon, but as he is coming off a loss to Sergei Pavlovich, if he falls to ‘Malhadinho’ this weekend, his future with the UFC could be in question.
Realistically, he probably shouldn’t be let go as he’s still a very viable heavyweight contender, but with the promotion so far ahead of its competitors right now and Blaydes often labeled as boring, it wouldn’t be a surprise.
Therefore, if ‘Razor’ wants to stay where he is, he probably needs to win impressively this weekend.
#4. Michael ‘Venom’ Page – UFC welterweight
There’s heavy pressure on any fighter making their UFC debut, but that pressure becomes even more magnified if the debutant is joining with a big reputation from a rival promotion.
That’s the case for former Bellator star Michael ‘Venom’ Page this weekend. While he never held a title in Bellator, Page was widely recognized for years as one of their top stars.
Therefore, his move to the UFC – even at the age of 36 – is a big one. Realistically, this is his last chance to make it to the top of the MMA mountain, which adds pressure in itself.
What makes his fight with Kevin Holland this weekend an even more high-stakes affair, though, is the fact that over his career, ‘Venom’ has often been accused of primarily snacking on overmatched foes.
If he struggles against Holland, then, those fans who have labeled him a fraud in the past might have more of an argument, and his octagon career could instantly be dead in the water.
Therefore, it’s imperative that Page wins this weekend – and if he doesn’t do that, then he needs an outstanding performance in losing in order to keep any kind of momentum.
#3. Dustin Poirier – UFC lightweight
Dustin Poirier has become accustomed to fighting in nothing but the biggest possible bouts over the past few years.
‘The Diamond’ has competed in headline clashes with the UFC’s biggest stars, including Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, and has also faced Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira, and Justin Gaethje in title fights.
However, it’s arguable that this weekend’s fight with Benoit Saint Denis is the most pivotal one for his career in a long time.
Poirier lost to Khabib, Oliveira and Gaethje, but all three were proven, top-level talents. Saint Denis, on the other hand, is an up-and-comer who isn’t proven at this level just yet.
Obviously, a big name like Poirier won’t be likely to lose his spot on the UFC’s roster if he loses to ‘God of War’ this weekend.
However, he could well find himself seen as a fighter whose best days are now behind him, and the chances of him competing in any more big money fights might be gone. He could well find himself relegated to the role of a high-end gatekeeper.
If ‘The Diamond’ can defeat Saint Denis, though, he’ll retain his momentum and could well find himself in line for a shot at lightweight champ Islam Makhachev somewhere down the line.
Therefore, put simply, this is a fight he cannot afford to lose.
#2. Petr Yan – former UFC bantamweight champion
It seems hard to believe, but it’s now been well over two years since former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan won a fight in the octagon.
That win, which came over Cory Sandhagen in a five-round thriller, also stands as Yan’s only win in his last five bouts. Anyone who loses so many fights in a short space of time should probably be concerned for their future in the UFC – so is ‘No Mercy’ finished?
It’s a fair question to ask. On one hand, the unbeatable aura that once hung around the Russian is well and truly gone now, particularly after we saw him basically beaten down by Merab Dvalishvili in his last fight.
On the other hand, though, there should be no shame in losing to Dvalishvili, Aljamain Sterling, and Sean O’Malley, who are arguably the best three 135-pound fighters on the planet right now. And more to the point, with different judges, Yan could’ve beaten the latter two.
However, if he were to lose to Song Yadong this weekend, that narrative might change. ‘The Kung Fu Kid’ is a strong fighter, but he isn’t quite considered elite level just yet, and in fact, lost to Sandhagen in 2022.
Essentially, the Chinese fighter is the kind of talent who Yan ought to be able to beat if he’s still at the level he was in 2020, and so if he loses, it’ll be hard to take him at all seriously as a top talent any more.
With that considered, he just can’t afford to lose this weekend.
#1. Sean O’Malley – UFC bantamweight champion
Legendary former UFC welterweight titleholder Matt Hughes once quipped that being a true champion isn’t about winning the belt, it’s about defending it. Arguably, he had a very fair point.
That’s why champions like Hughes, Georges St-Pierre, and Jon Jones are widely considered legends, while fighters who failed to defend their titles are often seen as flashes in the pan.
This weekend, we should be able to see which way current bantamweight kingpin Sean O’Malley will go.
‘Sugar’ claimed his crown by knocking out Aljamain Sterling last summer with one of the best finishes of 2023, and since then, he’s been positioned as one of the UFC’s poster boys.
However, there are still some questions about whether O’Malley is as good as he’d like to make out, particularly as many fans felt he lost to Petr Yan in their 2022 bout and got a gift decision.
This weekend will see ‘Sugar’ attempt to defend his title for the first time against Marlon Vera. ‘Chito’ is not the official top contender – another black mark against O’Malley in the eyes of some – but he does hold a win over the champion from 2020.
Therefore, if the Ecuadorian repeats the feat and downs ‘Sugar’, it’ll definitely give O’Malley’s doubters plenty of ammunition, and some will probably consider him a fraud.
If that were to happen, despite all of his charisma, talent and star quality, it’d be hard for his career to ever fully recover.
Win, though, and the talk will become centered around the beginning of a potentially epic title reign that could turn him into a UFC legend.
With that in mind, nobody has as much to lose as ‘Sugar’ this weekend, meaning he cannot afford to fall to defeat.
