UFC Fight Night 60: Who's on the Hot Seat in Broomfield This Saturday

Following a second straight loss in the lightweight division, Benson Henderson accepted an opportunity to return to the Octagon on short notice as a replacement opponent for Brandon Thatch.Originally expected to meet Stephen Thompson in the UFC Fight Night 60 main attraction, Thatch was in desperate need of a new opponent when Wonderboy was forced to withdraw due to a rib injury less than two weeks ago. Despite competing at 156 pounds less than a month ago, Henderson didn't hesitate to accept a clash with Thatch.While Henderson heads into this bout in danger of losing three in a row, it's highly unlikely the UFC would cut him like they do with most fighters on similar skids. The former lightweight champion is doing the promotion a solid by battling Thatch on short notice to save this fight card.That said, some other fighters on the UFC Fight Night 60 bill could be battling for their roster spots. Here are the individuals sitting on the hot seat heading into Saturday's event in Broomfield, Colorado.Efrain Escudero and Rodrigo de LimaIn September,The Ultimate Fighter 8winner Efrain Escudero returned to the Octagon after being released by the promotion for a second time in April 2012.Still only 29 years old, Escudero has the potential to make some noise in the lightweight division. However, he met a better grappler, Leonardo Santos, in his UFC return and fell on the scorecards in a pretty clear decision.Facing an opponent without a UFC win on Saturday, Escudero needs to turn things around in order to avoid being axed again.Rodrigo de Lima made his UFC debut in June, when he was stopped by Neil Magny. As a result of the loss, de Lima opted to drop down to the lightweight division, where he will meet Escudero this weekend.While this is a new weight for de Lima, he won't have any room for error. An 0-2 start usually results in fighters being released by UFC brass, so de Lima needs to hit the ground running as a lightweight.Tim ElliottSeeing as he's meeting a top-10 flyweight on Saturday, Tim Elliott should be safe regardless of what happens inside the Octagon this weekend.Despite losing two ina row, Elliott has been handed another tough matchup with Zach Makovsky. While three straight losses usually puts a fighter on the chopping block, Elliott can't be expected to winthis matchup or face the penalty of losing his job.All that said, Elliott does need to hold up his end of the bargain outside the Octagon in order to ensure his safety.James MoontasriIn June, James Moontasri made his UFC debut opposite Joe Ellenberger. While he gave the brother of welterweight contender Jake Ellenberger a close contest, Moontasri ultimately came up short in a split-decision loss.At 26 years old, Moontasri showed some promise in his first trip to the Octagon. However, he's now had his chance to get acclimated to the big stage and will need to deliver a win in his sophomore showing this weekend.Facing UFC newcomer Cody Pfister, Moontasri has a winnable matchup in front of him. So, he'll only have himself to blame should his UFC record fall to 0-2 at UFC Fight Night 60, which would likely result in him returning to smaller shows.
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