Sam Sicilia felt the pressure of being 'on the chopping block' at UFC 173

If you’re wondering why Sam Sicilia didn’t spend as much time swinging for the fences as he usually does, look at his resume going into his fight with Aaron Phillips at UFC 173.

At 1-3 in his past four outings, Sicilia said he felt his job was in imminent danger while he was in the cage fighting. But he added it’s not an unfamiliar feeling.

“I feel like all my fights have been on the chopping block, so I started to feel the pressure once I was in there. He’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime, and I’m fighting for my job, so it was just a lot of pressure.”

Despite that, Sicilia (14-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC), managed to work through the feeling and do what needed to be done against Phillips (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), which was to get takedowns and control the fight from top position against the UFC newcomer. After three rounds, he took home a unanimous decision.

The win gives “The Ultimate Fighter 15? vet a reprieve for his next fight, or at least until the pressure starts rising again.

“It just adds a sense of urgency,” Sicilia said. “You have to clearly be this freak athlete and get your ass off the chopping block.”

Check out the backstage interview with Sicilia above, moments after he beat Phillips.

And for complete coverage of UFC 173, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.