The Pink Slip: Who is at Risk of Being Cut Following UFC Mexico?

Following its pattern of staging exciting events in Mexico, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s sixth visit to the capital city delivered in spades. In the main event of UFC Fight Night 237, Brandon Royval scored a split-decision victory over crowd favorite Brandon Moreno in a hard-fought five-round affair. Meanwhile, Brian Ortega shined through in his rematch against Yair Rodriguez, overturning the initial turbulence in the first round to finish with a third-round arm-triangle submission. But amidst these moments of triumph, attention now shifts to the fighters whose future hangs in the balance, with their careers shrouded in uncertainty about whether they will be cut from the roster.

With that, let's take a closer look at some of the fighters who, after suffering losses, now face the looming specter of career uncertainty.

Denys Bondar

Bondar succumbed to a third straight loss against Octagon newcomer Ronaldo Rodriguez. The flyweight bout was predominantly a ground contest for the better part of the first two rounds. During one such exchange in the final minute of the second round, Bondar attempted to sneak in a leg lock, only to be reversed by Rodriguez, who then overwhelmed his opponent, raining shots from the top. “Psycho” buckled under pressure and gave up his back in an attempt to escape harm. “Lazy Boy” capitalized on the opportunity, locking in a rear-naked choke that forced the tap at the 4:59 mark of Round 2.

Indubitably, Bondar finds himself grasping at straws concerning his position in the UFC flyweight roster. With three losses in as many bouts since his UFC debut, the Ukrainian has appeared a mere shadow of his former self, who entered the organization riding an eight-fight win streak.

Daniel da Silva

Five months after their initial encounter at UFC Fight Night 227 resulted in a confusing no-contest, Chairez secured a decisive victory with a first-round triangle choke finish over Brazil’s da Silva. As for “Miojo,” the string of five losses in as many completed fights suggests that his career is in a rut. Since making his promotional debut in Oct. 2021, da Silva has fallen victim to three TKO and two submission losses, seemingly indicating he doesn't cut the mustard to retain a spot on the UFC roster. With his UFC career seemingly hanging by a thread, it remains to be seen whether the organization will retain him. Nevertheless, it would help him to leave no stone unturned in fighting for his spot in the organization.

Mateus Mendonca

Flyweights Jesus Aguilar and Mendonca engaged in a hard-fought contest in the penultimate clash of the preliminary card. As the bout commenced, both combatants were trying to establish control in the clinch. Mendonca managed a couple of submission attempts when the scramble-heavy grappling hit the mat; nothing proved to be decisive enough. Mendonca used his slight size advantage to wrestle Aguilar to the canvas and land strikes in short bursts. He also looked for submission attacks when the opportunity presented. Meanwhile, Aguilar looked better in the striking exchanges, stinging Mendonca a few different times.

When the 10s and nines were tallied, it was Aguilar that saw his name drawn on the win column. As for Mendonca, the Brazilian has lost three consecutive fights since his promotional debut in Jan. 2023, implying he’s walking on eggshells in the organization.