The UFC ‘lifesavers’: Who are Dana White’s best replacement fighters?
The biggest MMA company has had some big mishaps lately, but UFC boss Dana White has a few fighters as solid plan B replacements.
The UFC is a complex business, but also a profitable one with great potential. As a part of it, some unexpected issues may arise, like fight cancellations and last-minute mishaps that force the company to make decisions on the fly.
Despite being a big headache, especially if those problems concern big stars like Khamzat Chimaev and Conor McGregor, those unexpected events also generate more attention around the UFC universe. But for the UFC to benefit from it, it’s necessary to have stars willing to step into the octagon who can save an event quickly, as Alex Pereira just did with UFC 303.
Who are the best UFC replacement fighters?
Alex Pereira
Poatan is a fighter who’s always willing to enter the cage. He already saved the UFC 295 card, when Jon Jones got a pectoral injury last November. Only five months later, he accepted the company’s call to headline UFC 300 after several stars rejected White’s offer. At UFC 303, on June 29, Pereira will be in the octagon with only 20 days’ notice, putting his light heavyweight title on the line against another fighter who’s always ready to feature in the company’s emergency plans, Jiri Prochazka.
Alexander Volkanovski
But if someone has proved to be ready on short notice showdowns, that’s Alexander Volkanovski. The Aussie has been in a series of unexpected fights where, unfortunately, he has lost more than he has won. After replacing Charles Oliveira in Abu Dhabi, he didn’t hesitate to accept the challenge against Topuria in February. After Conor’s injury, Volk stated he would fight if the UFC contacted him again, ready, as always, to save the show.
Sean Strickland
The former middleweight champion is a man who never shies away from a fight. The Californian earned his title shot against Israel Adesanya, pulling off the upset thanks to a performance that shocked the world. Strickland has long been known for taking on any opponent, no matter what. The American was in the middle of controversy by speaking about it last January, when he fought in Canada. Strickland said he had to accept a short notice offer so that the co-main event fighters could earn a decent salary, proportionally to a UFC-numbered event.
Charles Oliveira
Do Bronx hasn’t taken short-notice fights lately, but he has been in several fights with little media coverage and difficult ones. After falling to an unstoppable Islam Makhachev, the UFC’s ‘punishment’ was to set him in a fight with Beneil Dariush, a very uncomfortable wrestler, although the Brazilian managed to come out on top convincingly. After this, he was matched with Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300, a fighter nobody wants to face who got a points win over Oliveira.