The recently concluded
UFC on ESPN 56 event in St. Louis, Missouri reinforced
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White’s conviction that
the organization should put on more events on the road and move out
of the Apex Facility from their Las Vegas base. The motivation was
clear-cut as fans formed the focal point of the spectacle inside
the Enterprise Center, cheering on for their beloved athletes. In
the regard of the fighters who suited up, they were driven by the
fervor of the fans, and the atmosphere made up for some pretty
exciting fights. But amidst these moments of triumph, we take a
look at a handful of vanquished fighters who, after suffering
losses, now face the looming specter of career uncertainty.
Charles
Johnson gave the hometown fans substantial grounds for cheering
as he took home a unanimous decision win against Hadley. The
English fighter was the aggressor when the bout commenced,
dictating the pace of the fight while Johnson took a while to get
in the groove. Johnson picked up the pace and boosted the offense
subsequently, managing to briefly put Hadley down with a right hand
and kept the same intensity in the third round. When the tens and
nines were tallied, it was Johnson who walked away as the victor
with unanimous decision scores of 29-28.
This is Hadley’s third loss in five Octagon assignments.
Indubitably, “White Kong” finds himself grasping at straws
concerning his position in the UFC flyweight roster. However, at
just 27 years of age, it is unlikely that he will be immediately
cut without a fair chance to fight for his spot.
Borshchev’s setbacks are accruing and his career hold weakening
with only one win in five fights. His opponent at UFC on ESPN 56,
Chase
Hooper, was adamant on taking the fight to the canvas. But his
wish was fulfilled courtesy of a left hand that dropped Borshchev
rather than a takedown. Hooper went on a relentless submission
chase firing off a series of attempts as “Slava” defended them
well. In the second round, Hopper quickly secured a takedown and
got into the mount position. He dropped some raining shots before
sneaking in a D’Arce choke that sealed the deal at the 3:00 mark of
the second stanza.
Of all the fighters featured on the showcase, Borshchev’s case is
the strongest towards being released from the organization. With an
overall 7-4 record its evident that he’s walking on eggshells.