Post-UFC 195: On the Chopping Block

Joe-SotoUFC 195 came and went, producing an exciting night of action from start to finish and kicking the 2016 calendar year off on a high note. Following the entertaining night of scraps, let’s take a look at which UFC 195 competitors we may no longer see putting in work inside the Octagon… ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK Joe Soto Strangely enough, Soto made his promotional debut in a UFC bantamweight title fight, where he was knocked out by TJ Dillashaw in the fifth and final round of action. He was a very short notice replacement for Renan Barao, who passed out while cutting weight for the fight. His original scheuled opponent was Anthony Birchak, and the two ended up facing each other for their second Octagon appearances, where Birchak knocked Soto out in the first stanza. At this past Saturday’s UFC 195 in Las Vegas, he came up short in a split decision against Michinori Tanaka and he is now 0-3 inside the Octagon, so I think there is a good chance the UFC serves him is walking papers. Personally, I would like to see him get one last chance, because that was a very close fight that could have easily gone his way and he showed great class afterwards. I hope the UFC gives him one more chance, but the odds of that happening are probably very slim. Edgar Garcia Garcia has now been finished in the first round of two consecutive bouts in his second stint with the promotion and I expect he will now be receiving the pink slip from the promotion. His return to the UFC saw him submitted via guillotine choke by Hector Urbina and in his latest outing at this past weekend’s UFC 195, he was TKO’d by Sheldon Westcott. After going 0-2 in his first stint with the UFC, he was released, and I believe after going 0-2 with first round finishes in his second stint, he will be released once again. This time, however, I don’t think he will be working his way back. We have most likely seen the last of Garcia inside the Octagon.

Written by Gabe Killian

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