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The UFC represents the peak of combat sports, or at the very least, the peak of MMA. It is where competition is the most fierce among mixed martial artists. In any competition, there are winners. Unfortunately, for a winner to emerge, the losers must sulk in their shadow.
Losses, however, don't have to define fighters. Countless fighters have returned from the darkness of defeat to reintroduce themselves in the winning column. Sadly, this is not the case for all fighters. Some start losing bouts more often than winning them, and this ultimately changes their career trajectories.
Such is the nature of all sports. At some point, losses can accumulate. Even a string of two losses can change a fighter's path based on how they're been perceived and presented. However, it's not always a loss that is responsible for the trajectory change in a fighter's career.
At UFC 281, five such fighters in do-or-die positions will compete, and this list details all of them.
#5. Brad Riddell, UFC lightweight
At one point in time, Brad Riddell was a surging UFC lightweight with a record of ten wins and only one loss. The New Zealander's kickboxing experience has led to a tremendous string of success as a striker under Dana White's banner. Alas, the four-fight win streak he was on came to a screeching halt against Rafael Fiziev.
The brutal KO loss was followed by a shocking 45-second submission loss to Jalin Turner. Suddenly, the seasoned kickboxer, who had only ever lost once in his MMA career, was on a two-fight losing streak. After suffering defeats to two ranked lightweights, Brad Raddell fell from his division's official rankings.
Not only is 'Quake' no longer a ranked lightweight, but he has gone from facing two foes who are now top ten lightweights to being booked to cross swords with Renato Moicano, who is unranked at lightweight. A third loss, especially to an unranked foe, would permanently damage his record. 'Quake' is in a must-win situation.
#4. Dominick Reyes, UFC light heavyweight
The days of Dominick Reyes being his division's resident undefeated sensation are long gone. After failing in his bid to wrestle the light heavyweight title from Jon Jones, 'The Devastator' tasted defeat for the first time in his career as a professional mixed martial artist.
Unfortunately, he was unable to rebound from the loss and suffered a brutal TKO loss to Jan Błachowicz for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 253 despite claiming to be the uncrowned champion at the time. The second loss of his career was soon followed by the third.
The former title challenger faced current 205-champion Jiří Procházka at UFC on ESPN 23, this time losing by a vicious KO in the second round. Now on a three-fight losing streak, Dominick Reyes has not only lost his undefeated record, but he has lost his position among the top three in the 205 lbs rankings.
In fact, 'The Devastator' isn't even ranked in the top five anymore. At UFC 281, he will face an opponent who isn't ranked in the top ten, and a potential fourth loss to Ryan Spann will almost certainly drag the former title challenger out of the top ten rankings. He cannot lose on Saturday, as other fighters have been cut for less.
#3. Dan Hooker, UFC lightweight
At UFC 281, Dan Hooker will make his return to the lightweight division. The New Zealander has not had the best run of fortune in the promotion. While he was once a staple in the top five of his division, he currently sits outside the top ten due to his recent string of losses.
In 'The Hangman's last five bouts, he has lost four times and has only won once. Furthermore, two of those losses involved him being KO'd and TKO'd for the first and second time in his career due to blows to the head since Edson Barboza's TKO win over him came via body shots.
At UFC 281, he will step inside the octagon to meet Claudio Puelles, an unranked lightweight. It is a significant downgrade for 'The Hangman', who now seems directionless. As the No.12 lightweight in the promotion, a loss to an unranked foe could lead to a downward spiral into obscurity.
#2. Karolina Kowalkiewicz, UFC strawweight
Former KSW women's flyweight champion Karolina Kowalkiewicz is a one-time UFC strawweight title challenger. Prior to her bout against fellow Polish striker Joanna Jędrzejczyk, 'The Polish Princess' was an undefeated fighter with a ten-fight win streak and a victory over future titleholder Rose Namajunas in 2016.
Unfortunately, those days are nothing more than distant memories. Today, the Pole is 37 years old and has one win in her last six fights. While she ended her five-fight losing streak by defeating Felice Herrig earlier in June, another loss at this stage in her career with five consecutive prior losses would be career-ending.
Her opponent for the matchup at UFC 281 is Silvana Gómez Juárez, a relative newcomer to the promotion who has lost two of her three bouts under Dana White’s banner.
A potential loss to her will certainly spark retirement talks for 'The Polish Princess', least of all due to her only win in four years coming against Felice Herrig, who is 38 years old and retired on a four-fight losing streak.
#1. Ottman Azaitar, UFC lightweight
Ottman Azaitar is the most curious case on this list, given that he's an undefeated fighter with 13 wins, with all but one of his wins being finishes. Despite his spotless record as a mixed martial artist and the first-round knockouts he earned fighting under Dana White's banner, 'The Bulldozer' is in a do-or-die position.
At UFC 257, the Moroccan-German fighter was involved in controversy after he lent his wristband to an unauthorized person who proceeded to enter the hotel hosting all the fighters. Furthermore, the mystery person he aided delivered a bag filled with contents that have never been identified.
However, the incident took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ottman Azaitar's role in breaching the UFC's health and safety protocols, along with the contents of the bag, led Dana White to cancel 'The Bulldozer's scheduled bout with Matt Frevola and release the Moroccan-German a day prior to the bout.
However, a month after cutting Ottman Azaitar, the promotion re-signed him, allegedly due to intervention from King Mohammed VI of Morocco, with whom 'The Bulldozer' enjoys a close friendship. Nearly two years after his last bout, he will return this Saturday to face Matt Frevola as originally planned.
After breaking the promotion's trust in such spectacular fashion that he was released and kept off the shelf for nearly two years, Ottman must win this weekend to justify Dana White's decision to reinstate him after everything.
