The UFC returns to pay-per-view this weekend for the first time since a historic UFC 162 event last month. Could history repeat itself on Saturday night? We have a dominant champion in Jose Aldo defending the UFC Featherweight Championship against a big underdog as he takes on “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. Lyoto Machida and Phil Davis will square off in the night’s co-main event in light heavyweight action.
The card has undergone numerous changes due to injuries over the last few weeks, and the result is a lot of Brazilians competing on the card. It may be weak in the eyes of casual fans, but these types of cards tend to deliver a solid night of action. There are a few fighters who find themselves in need of a win on Saturday, and we highlight five particular fighters as we bring you The Cut List for UFC 163: Aldo vs. Korean Zombie.
Anthony Perosh (13-7, 3-4 UFC)
Who he’s fighting: Vinny Magalhaes
Why he’s on the list: Perosh will be fighting for the eighth time inside the Octagon but is looking to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time since his first UFC stint back in 2006. He lost to Jeff Monson and Christian Wellish in those two fights, and after going 5-2 outside of the UFC, he was brought back as a short notice replacement to fight Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 110 in February 2010. He lost to Cro Cop, but after a year away, Perosh returned to actio and rattled off three straight wins by stoppage. He submitted Tom Blackledge and Cyrille Diabate in his two fights in 2011, and won by TKO over Nick Penner at UFC On FX 2 in March 2012. Perosh fell back into the loss column when he suffered a seven-second knockout loss at the hands of Ryan Jimmo at UFC 149 in July 2012. A gruesome toe injury kept Perosh from fighting against Joey Beltran in December, and now Perosh heads to Brazil to meet Vinny Magalhaes as he looks to get back into the win column.
Chances of being cut with loss: 80%. Perosh is getting up there in age, as he is 41-years-old, and retirement is always a possibility when you lose at that age. Magalhaes is young and hungry and excited to fight in Brazil, plus he needs a win just as bad as Perosh as he looks to avoid two straight losses. At his age, Perosh needs a win if he is going to remain on the UFC roster. A loss would hurt, but with the light heavyweight division sitting relatively thin right now, he could stick around with a loss.
Ian McCall (11-4-1, 0-2-1 UFC)
Who he’s fighting: Illarde Santos
Why he’s on the list: McCall with be stepping foot inside the Octagon for the fourth time in his career, and despite being ranked third in the UFC’s flyweight division rankings, he has yet to see victory in the organization. He drew with current UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson in March 2012 in the tournament to decide the champion, and that led to a rematch. Johnson defeated McCall by decision in their rematch in June 2012, advancing to fight Joseph Benavidez for the title. Johnson won the title while McCall remained out of action following a legal issue that forced him to spend some time and jail and miss a fight with recent title challenger John Moraga. McCall returned to action in February at UFC 156 against the aforementioned Benavidez. Benavidez took home the win by decision, and now McCall finds his back against the wall as he is still searching for his first UFC win.
Chances of being cut with loss: 40%. McCall’s losses have come to the top two fighters in the UFC’s flyweight division, so he has been fighting the toughest competition. Having no wins in four UFC fights would kill his chances for another shot in the UFC, but he is being given a fight to bounce back in. Santos is tough competition, but he was outmatched by Yuri Alcantara in his UFC debut. McCall is the favorite, and a win will get him right back into the title picture.
Josh Clopton (6-1-1, 0-1 UFC)
Who he’s fighting: Rani Yahya
Why he’s on the list: Like the rest of the fighters appearing on this edition of The Cut List, Clopton is fighting for just the second time as a member of the UFC roster. He got into the promotion as an injury replacement when he took on Steven Siler at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale. Siler won the fight by decision, and Clopton has been out of action since that fight, which took place 20 months ago. It also marked the first loss of Clopton’s career. Clopton has fought just eight times in his career, and he may not be ready for the competition that the UFC has to offer at this stage of his career, but he trains alongside former Strikeforce champion and UFC title challenger Gilbert Melendez, and that will only help him as he develops his skills. The time away may bring viewers a different Clopton than the one that fought Siler, and he gets a tough draw against Rani Yahya.
Chances of being cut with loss: 100%. Unfortunately for Clopton, he needs a win if he is going to remain on the UFC roster. He has a very tough fight ahead of him as Yahya is very talented and coming off of wins in three of his last four fights, with the only loss coming to Chad Mendes. Clopton will likely be cut in the event he loses, and a win for him would be a considerable upset.
Ednaldo Oliveira (13-1-1 1 NC, 0-1 UFC)
Who he’s fighting: Francimar Barroso
Why he’s on the list: Oliveira will be fighting for the second time as a UFC fighter as well. He made his debut back in January 2012 as a heavyweight when he welcomed Gabriel Gonzaga back to the UFC. Gonzaga dominated the fight as Oliveira was submitted with a rear-naked choke at the 3:32 mark of the opening round. It was the first loss of Oliveira’s career as he had been unbeaten in 14 previous bouts. Oliveira has been out of action for over 18 months due to injuries following the fight with Gonzaga. A broken arm forced him out of a bout in July 2012, and another injury kept him from fighting in December. He’s healthy, and he gets to welcome a newcomer to the UFC in Francimar Barroso. Barroso is an injury replacement for jiu-jitsu wizard Robert Drysdale, who was scheduled to debut in this bout.
Chances of being cut with loss: 90%. It is likely that Oliveira will be cut with a loss, but his saving grace is that the light heavyweight divison is rather thin. Barroso is entering the UFC on the heels of a 12-1 mark over his last 13 fights. Oliveira is the favorite in this fight, and he has solid jiu-jitsu skills that should help him get the win. It’s a real shame that Drysdale was forced out due to a staph infection as it would’ve likely been an awesome ground battle between him and Oliveira.
Bristol Marunde (12-8, 0-1 UFC)
Who he’s fighting: Viscardi Andrade
Why he’s on the list: Marunde will also be fighting for the second time as a member of the UFC roster. He started off as a castmember of season 16 of “The Ultimate Fighter”, but was unable to advance to the finals, and he wasn’t brought onto the UFC roster until there was a need for an injury replacement. He replaced Zak Cummings in a fight with Clint Hester at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale, finally getting his chance to fight inside the Octagon in his 20th career fight. Marunde was defeated by Hester when Hester knocked him out with an elbow with just over a minute left in the fight. Marudne will be moving back down to the welterweight division to welcome the newcomer Andrade to the UFC. Marunde started his MMA career off with just a 3-5 record in his first eight fights, but then came back with a 9-1 mark over his next ten fights before dropping his last two fights.
Chances of being cut with loss: 100%. Marunde needs to win against Andrade if he is going to remain on the UFC roster. He has two fights under the employment of Zuffa. He lost to Ronaldo Souza in Strikeforce, but many fighters have lost to Souza. Losing to Hester knocks him down a level, and a loss to Andrade puts him in a position of being cut. Andrade is 11-1 in his last twelve fights, and he is making his UFC debut riding a lot of momentum.
