The victories by Tito Ortiz and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira produced high drama at UFC 132 and UFC 134, respectively.
Without a win over Ryan Bader, Ortiz was on his way out of the UFC. A a bad loss by Nogueira against Brendan Schaub, would've inevitably prompted retirement talk. They live another day.
Nothing in the fall will match the stories of Tito and Big Nog, but there are plenty of showcase fights where veterans need to avoid a bad loss to ensure their future with the UFC. The sport is evolving so quickly, a veteran fighter can go from a UFC contender to the minor leagues or even retirement in just a few fights.
The fall slate is filled with older fighters who are under the gun.
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson - UFC 137
There's some pressure on Nelson, but this is really about Cro Cop. Following a loss at UFC 128, Dana White said it was time for the legendary heavyweight to walk away. Because of contractual obligations to the 36-year-old, the promotion had to give him another fight. Cro Cop (27-9-2, 4-5 UFC) was competitive in the losses Frank Mir and Schaub, but seems to run out of gas in the middle of fights and lacks the athleticism to use his trademark kicks as a big weapon. Cro Cop was the No. 2 heavyweight in the world from 2004-2006.
Mark Hunt vs. Ben Rothwell, UFC 135
Hunt is another strange case. Believe it or not, he made his UFC debut coming off of five straight losses (Melvin Manhoef, Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, Gegard Mousasi, Josh Barnett). He got the shot solely because of an old PRIDE contract the UFC had to honor. Hunt, 37, saved himself at UFC 127 with a surprise win over Chris Tuchscherer. Give him credit, Hunt used to fight at a sloppy 290-plus pounds. Now he's dedicated himself to better conditioning. Hunt certainly has the one-punch knockout power to keep on trucking with a win over Rothwell.
Yves Edwards vs. Rafaello Oliveira - UFC on Versus 6
Edwards is far from ancient, but the 34-year-old does have 58 fights under his belt. One has wonder how he'll bounce back from a devastating knockout against Sam Stout. His job may still be safe even if loses to the 29-year-old Oliveira. After all, the UFC has some loyalty to Edwards (40-17-1, 8-5 UFC) who first fought for the promotion back in 2001.
Stephan Bonnar vs. Kyle Kingsbury -UFC 139
Bonnar is the most unique name on this list. As a participant in the biggest fight in UFC history (Dana White's words) the finale of "The Ultimate Fighter 1," the promotion is extremely loyal to Bonnar and his opponent Forrest Griffin. That said, Bonnar absorbs a lot of abuse during his fights and has little hope of ever getting back into the light heavyweight top 10. If he suffered a loss, you wonder if White and Co. tell Bonnar it's time to walk away from the Octagon. It's a much easier decision knowing the UFC will take care of him with a job for the rest of his life. That said, the 34-year-old has won two straight. So the decision will be left up to him. Maybe he gets to go out like Chris Lytle did when he walked away after a win over Dan Hardy.
Josh Barnett vs. Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix field
Barnett, 33, isn't back with the UFC, but he controls his own destiny. The former UFC champ, White adversary and two-time PED policy violator probably has to make the final to even be considered for a return. He faces Sergei Kharitonov on Sept. 10 and the winner of Antonio "Big Foot" Silva sometime in the beginning of 2012. Would a close performance in a loss in the final still get Barnett back in the UFC? It's a tough call.
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