5 Fighters on the UFC Fight Night 126 Hot Seat

UFC Fight Night 126 emanates from the Frank Rewin Center in Austin, Texas this Saturday night (Feb. 16, 2018) and features an exciting welterweight main event pitting former lightweight title challenger Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone against Yancy Medeiros.

While this card features a number of new faces to the octagon, it also packs a punch with notable fighters like Derrick Lewis, Sage Northcutt, James Vick and Thiago Alves competing on the card. Throughout the event, there are a number of key matchups which will play pivotal roles in their respective divisions along with a number of fighters looking to build their name on this FOX Sports card.

However, some fighters will be feeling the Texas heat for different reasons as they are in desperate need of a victory. Whether it's maintaining a spot on the roster or seizing an important opportunity this Saturday night, here's a look at five fighters who are on the proverbial UFC Fight Night 126 Hot Seat.

#1 Donald Cerrone

It's hard to imagine fan favorite Cerrone is heading into his main event matchup against Yancy Medeiros this Saturday on a 3-fight skid. The 34-year-old went on an impressive run from 2013 to 2016, amassing a 12-1 record and picking up wins over the likes of Edson Barboza, Eddie Alvarez and Myles Jury. But since his TKO win over Matt Brown at UFC 206 in Dec. 2016, "Cowboy" hasn't tasted victory since. Dropping bouts against Jorge Masvidal, Robbie Lawler and most recently Darren Till, Cerrone now faces a fellow brawler who heads into this matchup on a three-fight win streak.

After a rough 0-2, NC start to his UFC career, Medeiros has looked exceptional in the octagon racking up a 6-2 record. Especially since moving up to the welterweight division in late 2016 where the Hawaiian has gone 3-0, finishing all of his opponents in the process

Cerrone has his work cut out for him against an opponent who boasts 12 of his 15-career wins by stoppage. It seems unlikely the UFC would hand Cerrone his pink slip should he suffer a career-high fourth-straight loss on Saturday. However, if he wants to remain relevant in the 170-pound division, an impressive victory against "The Kid" would certainly do that.