5 fighters whose UFC runs could be over after UFC 264

#2 Stephen Thompson – fights Gilbert Burns at UFC 264

The UFC might decide Stephen Thompson is too expensive to keep around if he loses 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.

🙌 YOU GOT TO LOVE IT. Wonderboy and Neal slinging heat to the very end! #UFCVegas17 pic.twitter.com/1k5pI7dJjN

— UFC (@ufc) December 20, 2020

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.

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#1 Conor McGregor – fights Dustin Poirier at UFC 264

Would it be all that surprising to see Conor McGregor retire if he loses to 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?

Let’s settle it in the Octagon… #UFC264: 💎 @DustinPoirier vs 🇮🇪 @TheNotoriousMMA 3Pre-register for tickets: https://t.co/Hy57WJ5MQ3 pic.twitter.com/6VwrQbmqRx

— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2021

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.