What’s At Stake For UFC Fight Night 81’s Headliners?

Sunday will feature one of the very best free UFC events of 2016.

Headlined by a highly-anticipated grudge match between current UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw and resurgent former king Dominick Cruz, UFC Fight Night 81 will not be short on excitement.

Sprinkle in a tantalizing lightweight tilt between top draw Anthony “Showtime” Pettis and world-class journeyman Eddie Alvarez, and you have two pay-per-view caliber fights capable of earning Fight of the Year honors.

But despite the action itself, each main card bout encapsulates its own meaning and worth. From title implications to long-lasting legacies, UFC Fight Night 81 will see some of the best martial artists in the world ante up everything they got.

Find out what’s at stake for each fighter as they aim to start the new year off with a bang.

 

Eddie Alvarez:

The odds are stacked against Philadelphia’s own Eddie Alvarez entering Sunday’s matchup with Anthony Pettis.

Not only due to the elite athleticism that he’ll be forced to overcome opposite “Showtime,” but more so the feeling of desperation that Pettis will possess come fight night. But in reality, outside of the betting books that keeps the money flowing, Alvarez has all the ingredients to pull off the upset.

With a background in wrestling, polished boxing, and a chin that doesn’t quite, “The Silent Assassin” may finally solidify his position within arguably the deepest division in mixed martial arts (MMA). Defeating Pettis this weekend will validate the journeyman’s past experiences, innate capabilities, and budding championship potential

Alvarez is fighting with something to prove and nothing to lose. That’s usually the most volatile recipe for unsuspected greatness.

Anthony Pettis:

From wearing the UFC lightweight belt to gracing the cover of a Wheaties box, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis was on top of the MMA world just one year ago.

But after succumbing to the pressure and unfiltered dominance of Rafael dos Anjos back at UFC 185, the kid from Milwaukee took a back seat in a division he was being groomed to rule. His short-lived fall from grace is certainly unfortunate, but it’s a direct reminder that this sport can take as fast as it gives.

Heading into Sunday’s ultra-important collision with Alvarez, the 28-year-old will have more than one reason to win. At stake is not only his once-promising UFC stock and perennial title potential, but also a future matchup with the green Conor McGregor.

If Pettis defeats Alvarez, he would have regained his momentum, recaptured a lightweight title shot, and a potential fight of a lifetime against the hottest ticket in MMA. And if McGregor loses to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 197, then Pettis will earn his chance to avenge the beatdown RDA inflicted back in 2015.

Dominick Cruz:

There’s no secret what’s at stake for Dominick Cruz entering his long-awaited title shot at UFC Fight Night 81.

With just one fight under his belt since 2011, “The Dominator” must prove that he can actually remain healthy. While a championship tilt this Sunday opposite Dillashaw isn’t going to predict the former’s champ future ability to avoid injury, it’s undoubtedly a step in the right direction.

On top of attempting to regain a bantamweight title that he never lost in the first place, Cruz will be given the task of debunking a striker who has mirrored his own style en route to claiming gold. It may sound easy on paper, but Dillashaw’s likeness may actually create pockets of unpredictable exchanges that Cruz would otherwise aim to avoid.

As a 30-year-old athlete who has absorbed limited in-fight damage through 21 career fights, Cruz has a lot of fight left in the tank. He’ll have the opportunity to drag his former prominence from the rubble, dust it off, and display it once again in front of an eager world against “Killashaw” this weekend.

TJ Dillashaw:

You aren’t the king until you beat the king.

We’ve all heard that saying one time or another, especially when it comes to MMA, but it has never rung more true entering UFC Fight Night 81 this Sunday.

Cruz was stripped of his bantamweight title back in 2014 when he was unable to unify with then interim kingpin Renan Barao. In his absence, Dillashaw rose through the ranks and defeated Barao on two separate occasions, earning the right to adorn the 135-pound strap.

While significant and noteworthy, Dillashaw has not beaten the real divisional titleholder. He beat what is considered a “paper champion.” So in order to solidify his role in the sport moving forward, he’ll have to ward off a understandably agitated Cruz this weekend.

If he’s able to do that, Dillashaw’s legacy will be written. He would have defeated the two best bantamweights in UFC history and well on his way to defending the title in a brewing grudge match with Team Alpha Male founder Urijah Faber.

Not to mention a victory will prove to the world that his style of fighting has surpassed that of the originator.