On Saturday, the UFC will make its first trip to Poland with an event headlined by a Gabriel Gonzaga and Mirko Filipovic rematch.
While Gonzaga is a top-15 UFC heavyweight, he's been headed in the wrong direction. The Brazilian has lost two in a row, most recently being knocked out by Matt Mitrione at UFC on Fox 13.
Meanwhile, Cro Cop will return to the Octagon for the first time since October 2011. Filipovic has posted a 3-1 record with smaller promotions since then and will now have a chance to avenge what is widely considered to be the most defining loss of his MMA career.
Neither Gonzaga nor Filipovic is in a great position heading into this bout, so that should paint a pretty clear picture of the card. There will be a number of UFC newcomers and individuals battling for UFC roster spots.
Here are the competitors sitting on the hot seat heading into UFC Fight Night 64 this weekend.
Gabriel Gonzaga and Mirko Filipovic
As previously noted, Napao has been slumping.
In the shallow heavyweight division, some might get away with three straight losses. However, Gonzaga is 35 years old and doesn't come cheap compared to some of his counterparts. Even if the UFC would keep him around, losing to Filipovic could discourage Gonzaga into retirement, something he has already considered in the past.
While this is Filipovic's first bout on his new UFC contract, the veteran is now 40 years old. More than three years ago, Cro Cop no longer looked up to par at this level, so he'll have a lot of work to do to prove he still belongs inside the Octagon.
A bad loss in Poland could bring a quick end to Filipovic's UFC comeback party.
Pawel Pawlak and Sheldon Westcott
More than 10 months ago, Pawel Pawlak made his UFC debut against Peter Sobotta. The result was a decision loss for the Polish-born welterweight.
While Pawlak gets to compete in his home country this weekend, it only adds pressure onto his shoulders. Should he fall to 0-2 inside the Octagon, Plastinho will probably head back to smaller shows.
A contestant on The Ultimate Fighter Nations, Sheldon Westcott reached the middleweight finals before being beaten by Elias Theodorou. Westcott will now look to earn his first UFC victory at his more natural 170 pounds.
Because he hasn't gotten to compete at the welterweight level inside the Octagon, Westcott could get another chance with a second UFC loss. However, he should still come into this bout thinking that he needs to win to remain on the UFC roster.
Seth Baczynski and Leon Edwards
At one point, Seth Baczynski had won four straight UFC bouts, including one against now-contender Matt Brown. However, Polish Pistola has now lost two in a row and four out of his past five contests.
Facing, Leon Edwards, an opponent without a UFC win, Baczynski will likely have his last chance to stop the bleeding Saturday.
In November, Edwards made his first trip to the Octagon opposite Claudio Silva. Edwards went the distance with the Brazilian but was edged in a split decision.
Only 23 years old, Edwards is still growing in MMA, but a loss to Baczynski could mean he's not ready for UFC competition.
Marcin Bandel
Coming into the UFC with 12 consecutive submission wins, Marcin Bandel was a promising addition to the promotion's lightweight class. However, he was quickly knocked out by Mairbek Taisumov in October.
Bandel will compete in his home country at UFC Fight Night 64, but the Polish combatant will probably need a win over UFC newcomer Stevie Ray to keep his UFC career going.
With a 16-5 record, Ray is an experienced rookie, though he's had enough speed bumps along the way to suggest that Bandel should have a good chance in this matchup.
Rocky Lee
With only three bouts on his MMA resume, Rocky Lee earned his way into the world's top promotion through TUF China.
Lee was eliminated from the featherweight competition during the semifinals. While he did win once on the show, reaching the semifinals in a tournament with so many inexperienced fighters isn't saying too much about Lee's abilities.
At UFC Fight Night 64, Lee will clash with Taylor Lapilus. If Lee can't beat the French UFC newcomer, it'll indicate that he could use some more seasoning on smaller shows.
