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UFC 264 is all set to be one of the biggest UFC events of 2021, with a main event of Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier and a loaded undercard underneath it. But with the UFC seemingly on a constant cutting spree, are all of UFC 264’s fighters safe?
For as big an event as it promises to be, UFC 264 could also mark the end of the line for a number of fighters in terms of their runs with the UFC.
With a number of potentially struggling fighters competing on the card, here are five UFC fighters whose time with the promotion could come to an end at UFC 264.
#5 Greg Hardy – fights Tai Tuivasa at UFC 264
Despite a controversial background, former NFL star Greg Hardy arrived in the UFC in early 2019 with a lot of hype behind him.
A high-end athlete with seemingly explosive power in his hands, Hardy trucked his first three opponents, finishing all of them inside a minute via KO or TKO. The UFC fans didn’t like him, but it looked like he’d quickly develop into a dangerous fighter.
But in the two-and-a-half years that have followed, that hasn’t really been the case at all.
Hardy has picked up four wins in the UFC, but none of them came against genuine contenders, and none really came via highlight-reel knockouts either.
Along the way, he’s also picked up three losses, as well as an odd No Contest against Ben Sosoli after he was seen using an asthma inhaler in his corner between rounds.
The Prince of War was supposed to have unrivaled punching power, yet his hands have rarely looked all that dangerous. As for his vaunted NFL-level athleticism? That hasn’t helped him all that much either, as he has a tendency to gas out and looked completely like a fish out of water on the ground against Marcin Tybura in 2020.
Add in the fact that UFC fans still greatly dislike him – booing him out of the building every time he sets foot into the octagon – and this is an experiment that the promotion probably doesn’t need to continue with.
So if Hardy loses to Tai Tuivasa at UFC 264, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the UFC pull the plug on his burgeoning career entirely.
#4 Carlos Condit – fights Max Griffin at UFC 264
The UFC has made a habit in recent months of cutting longtime veterans from its roster. Names like Alistair Overeem and Junior Dos Santos have recently departed the promotion after years of success.
The idea seems to be that the UFC cuts fighters who are not big draws any more, are never going to get back into title contention, and are also earning a big salary by UFC standards.
With all of that considered, former interim UFC welterweight champion Carlos Condit - who fights Max Griffin at UFC 264 - has to be considered in danger of facing the chopping block with a loss.
Condit has won his last two fights, but despite both fights – against Court McGee and Matt Brown – being fun, they showed that the Natural Born Killer is probably never going to recapture the kind of form that saw him beat the likes of Martin Kampmann and Nick Diaz.
In fact, prior to those wins, Condit had been on a five-fight losing streak dating back to 2015, dropping fights to opponents like Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny.
Given that Condit was paid a hefty $260k for his win over Brown – with a $120k base pay – it’s safe to say that he’s probably one of the most highly paid fighters on the roster who’s not likely to reach title contention again anytime soon.
That alone puts his roster place in danger if he fails to defeat Griffin at UFC 264.
#3 Jessica Eye – fights Jennifer Maia at UFC 264
In 2021, any fighter on a lengthy losing streak is in danger of losing their spot on the UFC’s roster, which is why Jessica Eye could be in trouble if she falls to Jennifer Maia at UFC 264.
Eye does have plenty of redeeming factors. She’s a former UFC title challenger and is also one of the most recognizable fighters in what is arguably the UFC’s thinnest division – women’s flyweight. However, that might not be enough to save her.
Evil is currently on a two-fight losing streak, and she’s 1-3 in her last four fights overall. Her only victory came over the unheralded Viviane Araujo in a middling fight at UFC 245.
Add in the fact that she’s also missed weight twice in her past three fights, and it’d hardly be a surprise if the UFC is becoming a little frustrated with her.
Worryingly, like Carlos Condit, she’s also a fighter that the UFC may consider to be expensive when compared to her ability both inside the cage and to draw viewers in. At UFC 257, she was reportedly paid $150k to fight, with another potential $150k if she were to win.
No UFC fighter should consider themselves safe if they are on a three-fight losing streak. Given Maia’s skills, it therefore wouldn’t be a surprise if UFC 264 is Jessica Eye’s last rodeo in the promotion.
#2 Stephen Thompson – fights Gilbert Burns at UFC 264
The winner of the co-main event at UFC 264 between Gilbert Burns and Stephen Thompson could find themselves in line for a shot at the UFC welterweight title. But the UFC in 2021 is a game of fine margins, so would it really come as a surprise to see Thompson cut if he loses?
Perhaps. Wonderboy is still a recognizable name to UFC fans. He famously challenged for the UFC welterweight title on two occasions in 2017, and has headlined multiple UFC shows dating back to 2016. In fact, he headlined one of the UFC’s Fight Nights as recently as December 2020.
However, there are reasons why he could find himself on the chopping block if he loses to Burns.
Firstly, Thompson is 38 years old now and is probably at the end of his athletic prime, if he hasn’t already passed that threshold. If he can’t beat Burns, then the likelihood of him ever getting back into title contention becomes much smaller.
But he is a tricky fighter to beat, meaning that he could prove to be an uncomfortable hurdle for younger fighters that the UFC wants to push up the ladder – say Khamzat Chimaev for instance – to cross.
Like with some of the previously mentioned fighters, Thompson might be considered expensive by the UFC when his salary is compared to his drawing power. At UFC 244, he made a reported $290k for his win over Vicente Luque, $120k of which was a base salary.
Admittedly, it would be a surprise to see Wonderboy cut loose by the UFC, as there’s no shame in a loss to Burns – but similar things were said of Alistair Overeem and Junior Dos Santos, and both men are no longer part of the UFC roster.
#1 Conor McGregor – fights Dustin Poirier at UFC 264
Okay, so it goes without saying that there’s absolutely no way that the UFC would ever cut Conor McGregor from their roster. Despite his issues as of late, Notorious is still the UFC’s biggest star, biggest drawing card and could probably draw millions of pay-per-view buys fighting a stranger plucked from the street.
But if he were to lose to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 – giving him two losses in a row for the first time in his MMA career – would it really come as a surprise to see the Irishman step away from the UFC and into retirement?
After all, at this stage in his career, McGregor doesn’t really need to fight. He’s got millions in the bank from his mega-drawing UFC fights with the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Poirier, not to mention the insane money he earned for his 2017 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.
Inside the octagon, he honestly has nothing left to prove. His accomplishments speak for themselves, and the fact that he stands as the first man to hold UFC titles simultaneously in two different weight classes makes him a UFC legend for life.
So if he loses to Poirier again – particularly if he gets knocked out – what more is there to stick around for? Sure, he’d make more money if he fights again, but he’s a big enough star now to get paid by other means than getting punched in the face.
Essentially, while the UFC wouldn’t like it, UFC 264 could well be the end of the line for Conor McGregor if he loses.
