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Last-minute title challenger Prochazka was clearly gutted by his disappointing second round KO loss to Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 303.

Jiri Prochazka is speaking out after his disappointing loss at UFC 303 to light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.

Prochazka and Pereira previously clashed at UFC 295 in November 2023. It was a competitive fight that saw Jiri aggressively pursuing Alex, putting “Poatan” on the backfoot. “The Czech Samurai” would win the first round on all three judges scorecards. But a sloppy takedown attempt in the second led to a barrage of elbows to Prochazka’s temple and a stoppage moments later.

Prochazka fought more tentatively for the rematch on Saturday night in Las Vegas. The gameplan did not serve him well: “Poatan” attacked with little pushback, knocking his opponent down badly in the final second of round 1. Round 2 ended moments after it started with a headkick knockout (watch the finish here).

It was a crushing defeat, and Jiri Prochazka was stoic but clearly upset as he recorded a video statement about the result.

“Thank you for all your support,” he said to the fans. “Thanks to you, Alex, for a fight. He was better. And only one thing goes on in my mind: that I need to evolve to the next level, or don’t fight again. So it’s simple. To be the strongest, this is the way. Thank you.”

It’s a tough loss for Jiri, especially when you consider he’s now 0-2 against a dominant champion. Fighters don’t usually get a third crack at an opponent after losing twice, especially this badly via knockout. So until “Poatan” drops the belt, Prochazka could be stuck in light heavyweight limbo.

It’s not all bad news, though. Jiri has had a very lucrative first half of 2024: he was undoubtedly paid very well to step up for UFC 303, and just cashed a UFC 300 bonus worth $ 300,000. While he’d undoubtedly trade it all for championship gold, we have a feeling he’ll follow through on his vow to evolve rather than quit.

As for Alex Pereira, he had some kind words for the challenger.

“I wish him a speedy recovery for everything,” he said through a translator at the UFC 303 post-fight press conference. “I know he talk a lot about spirituality. Just so he knows, the same god that blessed us is the one that protects us. I pray a lot for him and for me to be healthy after this fight.”

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA- McGregor vs. Chandler could be happening soon.

Last night (Sat., June 29, 2024), UFC 303 was supposed to be headlined by the highly anticipated return of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler; however, because of a toe injury, UFC Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira knocked out Jiri Prochazka with a nasty head kick from inside the T-Moble Arena in Las Vegas (watch highlights).

During UFC 303, Chandler made a ‘guest fighter’ appearance in the media room and was, of course, asked about his situation.

“[I did meet with the UFC last night] I was with the UFC, and we’re working on some things,” Chandler told the media. “It’s always related to Conor. People can talk about my motivation for waiting. What my motivation is for sitting out for as long as I have. Quite frankly, I needed a little bit of time off. I came into the UFC hot, had some fight of the year candidates. So, it’s always revolving around Conor; I’ve enjoyed this time doing things outside of the octagon…Sources close to Conor know that he’s going to be ready in September, August, so we can make some things happen.”

Chandler has been ridiculously positive throughout this entire situation and continues to be so.

UFC CEO Dana White has refused to discuss the fight until McGregor is completely healthy and even ruled out August, September or October.

Check out the entire crazy timeline of the McGregor vs. Chandler drama here.

For complete UFC 303 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.

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Last night (Sat., June 29, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned home to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC 303. I do not have the heart to explain why Conor McGregor wasn’t fighting for the millionth time (click here if you somehow do not know the story). Regardless of all the hits it took along the way, the UFC 303 event that did go down was worth the time, particularly the stellar main event between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.

Let’s take a look back over at UFC 303’s best performances and techniques:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Poatan Puts On A Masterclass

After the first Pereira vs. Prochazka fight, it felt like there were still questions about the match up. The stoppage was a touch earlier, and Prochazka found good success before getting knocked down. There was a reason to book them a second time and intrigue surrounding the potential rivalry.

No longer.

From the first bell, Pereira was pretty much untouchable. He seemed to vividly recall his previous experience with Prochazka, and none of the former champion’s feints or tricky setups led to any real success. Instead, it was Pereira who adapted successfully, adding an ultra stiff body jab into his attack alongside the usual left hook and low kicks. It halted Prochazka’s blitzes and left him even more stranded at range.

Consequently, “BJP” couldn’t get anything going at all. It’s not unusual to see Prochazka lose a first round, but it’s shocking to see him rendered so offensively impotent. Pereira didn’t take long to capitalize either, stunning Prochazka with a left hook in the closing seconds of the first round that probably would have stopped the fight with just a little bit of time on the clock.

Instead, a snappy left high kick as soon as the second started sealed the deal. Referee Herb Dean gave Prochazka every chance to recover, but he was more than gone from the high kick, and the follow up punches did not wake him back up. There will be no controversy about the stoppage this time around.

A perfect performance from Pereira. No notes. Spectacular!

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Lopes And Ige Go To War

For a bout announced just a couple hours prior to the fighters entering the cage, Diego Lopes vs. Dan Ige was a great fight!

Lopes’ last three fights have ended too quick to learn much about the Brazilian rising star, but fortunately, Ige’s iron chin allowed us to see more of Lopes’ game! In the first round, he really proved himself a clinch mauler. Every time Ige tried to get close, he wound up too close, forced on the defensive by a wild flurry of hooks and knees. Between those bursts, Lopes went to work ripping up the calf.

Ige did eventually get to pay him back a bit, however. Down two rounds with five minutes remaining, Ige was finally able to gain the pocket on a tiring Lopes. He drilled Lopes with a bunch of stiff punches, drawing reactions out of the Brazilian then cracking him with straighter shots down the middle. It wasn’t enough to earn the victory, but Ige’s strong third round made for great viewing and a feel good moment for both men.

Lopes and Ige want to fight at the Sphere (not against each other), and UFC oughta pay them back make it happen.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Silva Sliced And Diced

Macy Chiasson vs. Mayra Bueno Silva didn’t offer too many surprises.

Early on, Silva was the far more effective offensive fighter. Her advantages in speed and power were significant, and they allowed her to dominate the early exchanges. Chiasson moved a lot and put out some volume, but Silva’s connections rang loudly throughout the arena.

The tide began to shift with about a minute remaining in the first. Similar to her title fight versus Pennington, Silva began to fatigue. Chiasson started to turn it up with combinations, then she opened the second with a nice takedown. Soon afterward, she dropped a massive elbow that split open Silva. Moments later, the referee was waving off the fight due to a cut stoppage.

On one hand, Chiasson showed some grit and fought well on the whole. She’s growing more consistent and more elite as a result. Silva, meanwhile, still has a ton of physical gifts that are hampered by her pace. She’ll surely complain about the cut stoppage, but it really felt like the momentum had already shifted against her regardless. Maybe she turns it back around, but it’s disappointing to see the same issue pop up again.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Pyfer Bounces Back

I wasn’t picking him outright, but I thought Marc-Andre Barriault had the potential to be a difficult fight for Joe Pyfer. The Canadian veteran is historically rather durable, and his best asset is his conditioning. Like Jack Hermansson before him, maybe if “Power Bar” survives the opening frame, he could wear Pyfer down and make it ugly?

We’ll never find out.

Pyfer, if nothing else, is an exceptional physical talent. Massive for Middleweight, his fast hands, quick reactions, and crushing power are an overwhelming problem for most of the division. Against Barriault, it took just a couple minutes to herd his foe into the fence and unleash a tight, powerful combination to put him down.

Has Pyfer fixed the flaws that Hermansson demonstrated? Who knows. It didn’t matter last night, and it won’t matter against most at 185-pounds.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Talbott Lives Up To The Hype

Payton Talbott entered his bout versus Yanis Ghemmouri as an unbelievably wide favorite. We’re talking peak Ronda Rousey numbers, yet Talbott made those odds seem utterly justified with an effortless 19-second knockout.

There’s nothing to analyze here. Talbott entered the cage incredibly relaxed, and the prospect has great eyes. He saw everything Ghemmouri did, from his offensive to defensive movements. Then, he sent a picture-perfect 1-2 down the middle, using a bit of a pause and hand-fight to line up the cross perfectly.

It crashed into the chin and put Ghemmouri down for good. The Adrian Yanez callout after the quick KO? That’s a perfect cherry on top.

Photo by Todd Lussier/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Additional Thoughts

• Jean Silva defeats Charles Jourdain via second-round knockout: Silva loses some points for missing weight, but otherwise, this was a hugely impressive performance. Jourdain has a rock solid chin and Silva still hurt him badly on multiple occasions without loading up on his shots. “Lord Assassin” clearly has some brutal power, and his patient application could add up to something really special. If he can figure out his weight — which really shouldn’t be an issue for a 5’7” prospect at 145 pounds! — then Silva is absolutely an interesting up-and-comer to watch moving forward.

For complete UFC 303 results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.

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In an unprecedented event, Brian Ortega has been removed from his co-main event clash with Diego Lopes later tonight (Sat., June 29, 2024) at UFC 303 LIVE on ESPN+ PPV from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Featherweight veteran Dan Ige will fill in for a ridiculous co-main event mashup.

MMA journalist, Ariel Helwani, reported the potential change midway through UFC 303’s “Prelims” undercard. About 30 minutes later, UFC play-by-play announcer Jon Anik made the official announcement.

“UFC is trying to book Dan Ige x Diego Lopes tonight, I’m told. It’s not 100% yet.

Ortega is on the verge of having to withdraw. He is sick, sources say.

The plan would be a 165-pound catchweight fight, if it gets over the line.

Ige would have to weigh in tonight.

I honestly have never heard of anything like this before considering he didn’t weigh in yesterday.

Developing.”

Remember, Ortega vs. Lopes was booked just two weeks ago in effort to soften the blow from Conor McGregor’s injury and subsequent exit from UFC 303’s main event. A light heavyweight title fight between champion Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka was quickly booked as the new headliner for International Fight Week, but Ortega vs. Lopes was brought together to keep the buzz even higher.

Ortega was coming off a second-round submission finish over Yair Rodriguez back in February, while Lopes has won his last three trips to the Octagon by knockout or submission. The featherweight clash, which turned into a lightweight clash, was expected to produce Fight of the Night action. UFC CEO Dana White even offered an extra Fight of the Night bonus because of Ortega.

It’s a bummer to see Ortega pull out with an illness with just hours to go, but at least Ige was standby to pull off one of the biggest saves in recent memory. Fight fans are loving Lopes right now so to remove him from the card (in addition to Ortega) would have been a true killer. UFC officials pulled it off yet again and crossed off all legal boxes to ensure Ige was able to compete.

Ige’s head coach, Eric Nicksick, posted the following message earlier Saturday night, leading fight fans to believe the fight was a done deal. Kudos to all parties for getting this fight done.

“Remember, we’re the guys you call when you run out of ideas,” wrote Nicksick.

Here is the reaction from Ige once the fight was made official:

UFC officials announced the co-main event change to the fight fans in attendance at UFC 303 and Ige received a pretty good pop. Check it out below:

For complete UFC 303 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.

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Alex Pereira has already bulked back up for his light heavyweight title rematch against Jiri Prochazka later tonight (Sat., June 29, 2024) at UFC 303 LIVE on ESPN+ PPV from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pereira, who will be defending his 205-pound crown for the second-straight time, is the betting favorite to take care of business and hand Prochazka another loss inside of the Octagon. Remember, the two first met back at UFC 295 in Nov. 2023. Prochazka was winning that fight until “Poatan” delivered a memorable second-round knockout.

While tonight’s title rematch came together on just two weeks notice both fighters seem more than prepared. After all, the two were expected to meet sometime this summer anyways. It just happened to go down sooner than planned, but on a bigger card during UFC’s International Fight Week.

Luckily, Pereira and Prochazka are true professionals and had no issues making weight for Friday’s official weigh ins (replay HERE). Since early Friday, Pereira has packed back on considerable weight. He posted the following to Instagram on Friday showing off a 25-pound gain and explaining how he had his best light heavyweight cut to date.

It’s unknown at this time if this massive weight gain will play any factor in Pereira’s title defense against Prochazka, but it can’t hurt. Prochazka is a big, strong light heavyweight who attacks with a variety of techniques. Pereira may be the favorite entering UFC 303, but he still has much to prove when it comes to his overall MMA arsenal.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 303 fight card right RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the UFC 303 PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 303: “Pereira vs. Prochazka 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 303 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

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Dana White continues to oversell the success of Power Slap and just went on record saying the promotion will be bigger than Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in just a few years.

While fight fans expect White to be overzealous about Power Slap and try his best to create buzz around the slap-fight promotion, the UFC CEO had made some wild claims over the years. Whether he’s listing off head-scratching metrics that make zero sense or comparing the organization to the success of UFC, White seems to know no bounds when it comes to promoting his new league.

On Friday, Power Slap 8 went down in Las Vegas and featured the official debut of former UFC contender Paige VanZant. This was a big deal for Power Slap as the promotion continues to try to attract more well-known fighters to compete. VanZant was the first of presumably many that will try their hand at Power Slap. “12 Gauge” ended up putting on a show in a lopsided decision win (highlights HERE).

After the action concluded, White spoke with media members during Power Slap 8’s post-fight press conference (shown above). We’re guessing the event was a successful one because White was more than willing to go on record and state that Power Slap will be bigger than UFC in just a few years.

Check it out below and let us know if White’s statement holds any truth!

“I said this will be the biggest sport in the world. This will be bigger than the UFC.

“This will be bigger than the UFC. Now you can remember I said that. I’ll see you in a few years and we’ll talk again.”

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In a night full off stoppages, the featherweight main event to PFL 6 between Brendan Loughnane and Justin Gonzales ended via technical knockout (TKO), but it wasn’t in the traditional sense.

In round two, Loughnane tagged Gonzales with a perfectly-placed knee to the forehead which busted him wide open. After a brief pause in action to allow the doctor to take a look at the damage, it was decided that the cut was too much to allow the fight to continue, giving Loughnane the win, much to the chagrin of Gonzales.

But, it was the best decision because the cut was deep…very deep.

This is the shot that caused the damage:

With the win, Loughnane secures the No. 1 spot at featherweight and will face Kai Kamaka — who defeated Pedro Carvalho via unanimous decision earlier on the card — in the opening round of the final four matchups,

Loughnane is in search of his second $ 1 million payday and championship, while Kamaka is out to earn his fifth straight win and spot in the finale.

For complete PFL 6 highlights and results click here

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PFL 6 is set to go down later TONIGHT (Fri., June 28, 2024) inside Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls, SD, which will be headlined by a featherweight fight between Brendan Loughnane taking on Justin Gonzales. Loughnane is coming off a technical knockout win over Pedro Carvalho at PFL 3, while Gonzales is on a three-fight losing streak, which includes getting knocked out in the first round at PFL 3 by Gabriel Braga. In the co-main event, Logan Storley battles Luca Poclit in a welterweight bout.

The event — which will stream on ESPN+ and ESPN for United States-based viewers — while international mixed martial arts (MMA) fans can catch the action via DAZN starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.

PFL Sioux Falls Quick Results:

145 lbs.: Brendan Loughnane vs. Justin Gonzales
170 lbs.: Logan Storley vs. Luca Poclit
170 lbs.: Magomed Umalatov vs. Brennan Ward
145 lbs: Gabriel Braga vs. Bubba Jenkins
170 lbs.: Lorenz Larkin vs. Alan Dominguez – Larkin via first-round TKO
170 lbs.: Murad Ramazanov vs. Shamil Musaev – Musaev via second-round knockout
145 lbs.: Kai Kamaka vs. Pedro Carvalho – Kamaka via unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Goiti Yamauchi vs. Andrey Koreshkov – Koreshkov via unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Timur Khizriev vs. Enrique Barzola – Khizriev via unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Don Madge vs. Neiman Gracie – Gracia via unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Tyler Diamond vs. Brett Johns – Diamond via unanimous decision

PFL Sioux Falls Card Highlights:

For all the latest PFL news and notes click here.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) held its 2024 Hall of Fame induction ceremony last night (Thurs., June 27, 2024) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the same venue that hosts this weekend’s UFC 303: “Pereira vs. Prochazka 2” pay-per-view (PPV) card.

Among the inductees was former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, along with ex-strawweight titleholder Joanna Jedrzejczyk. The promotion recently released a video highlight package showcasing all the best moments from this year’s festivities.

“The people that have been in the Hall of Fame are the who’s who of this sport, and just to be mentioned among these people is … I guess it never was my mission to set out to be a Hall of Famer,” Edgar told UFC.com. “I just wanted to do this. I enjoyed it. Once I got into it, I knew I wanted to be a champion and I wanted to always win. And those accolades usually lead to the Hall of Fame. So I guess mission accomplished.”

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 303 fight card right RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the UFC 303 PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 303: “Pereira vs. Prochazka 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 303 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

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No Conor McGregor? No problem!

With “Notorious” injured and unable to compete, reigning light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who already saved the day at UFC 300, will once again step up on short notice to defend his 205-pound strap in a five-round rematch against former division titleholder Jiri Prochazka atop the UFC 303 pay-per-view (PPV) event, locked and loaded for Sat., June 29, 2024 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC 303 will mark the Brazilian’s seventh fight in less than two years, six of which have been contested for a championship title.

This weekend’s fight card will also feature an important featherweight clash between former 145-pound title challenger Brian Ortega and red-hot Brazilian sensation Diego Lopes. In addition, Anthony Smith replaces the injured Jamahal Hill to battle late-replacement Roman Dolidze. “The Caucasian” takes over for the wounded Carlos Ulberg, making this an entirely new fight. Elsewhere on the card, Mayra Bueno Silva and Macy Chiasson collide in the women’s bantamweight division (deal with it), not long after welterweight warriors Ian Garry and Michael Page hook ‘em up at 170 pounds.

Get a complete breakdown of all the UFC 303 odds and betting lines HERE.

205 lbs.: UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex “Poatan” Pereira (10-2) vs. Jiri “BJP” Prochazka (30-4-1)

Alex Pereira is a special athlete.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult for the promotion to put together marquee matchups, because this generation of fighters want to protect their spot and preserve their paydays. For example, can you tell me when Ilia Topuria plans to make his first 145-pound title defense? Probably not. It took Leon Edwards and Dricus Du Plessis eight months to agree to defend their division titles and Jon Jones? Yeah, let’s not even get started on that one.

UFC 303 will mark Pereira’s fourth title fight in less than a year, two of which came on short notice.

I don’t normally advocate for such a quick turnaround, but “Poatan” didn’t take any damage in his knockout win over Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 back in April. I think it’s fair to say that fans can expect the same version of the Brazilian when he rematches Jiri Prochazka in UFC 303’s five-round main event, which is probably the same version we saw against “BJP” at UFC 295.

Pereira will stand upright, chop at the legs, and swing the left hand hammer of doom.

That posture makes him vulnerable, as we saw against Israel Adesanya. It’s also worth pointing out that he was tagged by Prochazka at UFC 295, as well as Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291. The difference is that “Poatan” can (usually) weather the storm, whereas opponents cannot, which is why Pereira has eight knockouts in 10 wins. My concern here is that Prochazka — who’s been knocked out in three of his four losses — will forget about his Samurai code and fight to win, which may not be that tall of an order if he exploits the champion’s porous takedown defense.

It worked against Glover Teixeira at UFC 275.

Prochazka is the more well-rounded fighter and can win this fight wherever it goes. Yes, the same held true the first time they fought, but now “BJP” understands what he’s up against, as well as the most probable path to victory. Unless he’s that committed to the bushido bit, I don’t envision Prochazka playing the kickboxing game for very long. Instead, he’s likely to cover and smother Pereira like a Denny’s hash brown, breaking a lot of hearts in “Sin City” while also setting up a late 2024 trilogy.

Prediction: Prochazka def. Pereira by submission

145 lbs.: Brian “T-City” Ortega (16-3, 1 NC) vs. Diego Lopes (24-6)

Brian Ortega is already talking about a jump to lightweight, which makes me wonder how much he invested in this fight, psychologically speaking. Competing as a two-time title challenger, “T-City” carries significant name recognition and usually finds himself at or near the top of every UFC fight card. How much stock you put into Ortega as a featherweight contender may depend on how much you value his recent performance against Yair Rodriguez, which could be looked at as an amazing comeback victory for “T-City” — or an embarrassing collapse for “El Pantera.” Getting lit up then finding a way to battle back and win has been a troubling trend throughout Ortega’s career and it may continue at UFC 303 against a younger but more experienced featherweight in Diego Lopes.

Lopes has been a nice surprise to the stagnant 145-pound weight class. Previously known as UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso’s jiu jitsu coach, the Brazilian has been able to establish himself as a legitimate threat to the major players in the division Top 10 after racking up three straight wins with three first-round finishes over the last 10 months. His lone defeat in UFC came against No. 5-ranked Movsar Evloev, a bout Lopes accepted on just five days’ notice. In addition, the former “Contender Series” competitor is now sporting double-digit knockout wins, for those detractors who think Lopes is “just a BJJ guy.”

Ortega has just one knockout win over the last eight years and that came against the mummified remains of Frankie Edgar. “T-City” has typically relied on his jiu jitsu to bail him out of trouble, a failsafe that won’t be operational against a ground wizard like Lopes. I don’t want to get too carried away and start talking about Lopes like he’s Max Holloway or Alex Volkanovski, I just think he’s on his way up and Ortega is on his way down. We’ll find out for certain this Sat. night in “Sin City.”

Prediction: Lopes def. Ortega by technical knockout

205 lbs: Anthony “Lionheart” Smith (38-19) vs. Roman “The Caucasian” Dolidze (12-3)

No disrespect to either fighter, but if you’re asking Roman Dolidze to step up on two weeks’ notice to fight Anthony Smith at light heavyweight, maybe it’s time to cut your losses and move up a “Prelims” banger to the UFC 303 main card, especially since “Lionheart” is also fighting on short notice. I guess we should just keep our expectations low and be grateful their contest is only staged across three rounds, though cardio issues in the final frame would not surprise me — assuming it lasts that long.

When we last saw Smith, he was strangling Vitor Petrino en route to a massive upset victory at UFC 301 in Brazil. As much as he can rub MMA fans the wrong way, Smith remains a dangerous fighter with 35 finishes in 38 wins. Conversely, he’s also been stopped in 15 of his 19 losses, so one thing you can count on when “Lionheart” fights is Smith living and dying by his sword. Hard not to respect that and probably one of the reasons the former middleweight has over 20 fights for Dana White and Co. over a span of eight years. His biggest issue, at least in terms of reaching the 205-pound mountaintop, has been his consistency, evidenced by a 2-3 record across his last five.

Dolidze deserves credit for answering the UFC 303 call, but let’s be honest, he was hardly in a position to turn it down. “The Caucasian,” once ranked No. 8 in the 185-pound division, is now the loser of back-to-back fights and in danger of falling out of the middleweight Top 10. He also turns 36 in just a few weeks, so if he’s going to get something going, it’s now or never. I don’t want it to sound all doom-and-gloom for Dolidze because most fighters would pull the wings off a butterfly to sport a 12-3 record. In addition, all three losses have come by way of judges’ decision, making Dolidze one of more durable combatants in his weight class. I’m not sure that trend continues this weekend at 205 pounds.

Smith will have a two-inch height advantage on Sat. night but their reach is even at 76 inches with both combatants fighting out of the orthodox stance. I would expect this contest to be decided by whoever controls the wrestling. Smith has his share of problems at times but his level of competition dwarfs the resume of Dolidze, who can’t seem to get himself out of first gear. Look for Smith to frustrate “The Caucasian” and lock up a surprise submission in the second half of the fight.

Prediction: Smith def. Dolidze by submission

135 lbs.: Mayra Bueno “Sheetara” Silva (10-3-1, 1 NC) vs. Macy Chiasson (9-3)

The jury is still out when it comes to the verdict on Mayra Bueno Silva, which is unusual for a combatant who’s been fighting under the UFC banner for nearly six years. Once a top prospect and winner of Dana White’s “Contender Series” (Brazilian version) back in summer 2018, “Sheetara” has produced mixed results inside the Octagon, compiling a 5-3 record with one draw and one “No Contest,” the result of a positive drug test. Silva’s march toward the bantamweight title ended with a decision loss to grizzled veteran Raquel Pennington at UFC 297, though Silva remains ranked No. 3 at 135 pounds, right behind fellow Brazilian Ketlen Vieira. Defeating the No. 7-ranked Macy Chiasson probably doesn’t do much to elevate her stock, but it should at least prevent her from losing ground as the promotion tries to figure out what to do with Julianna Pena (No. 1) and Kayla Harrison (No. 4).

Chiasson took the harder route to earn her UFC contract, fighting her way through Season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter, taking home the glass trophy with a submission victory over Pannie Kianzad in the live finale. Chiasson would go up two-zip on “Bonzai” when they rematched at UFC Vegas 88, part of a 6-3 run under the UFC umbrella that was consistently inconsistent. Just as it looked as though Chiasson was ready to make a serious run at the 135-pound title, an untimely loss set her back and kept her in the middle of the pack. Against Silva, Chiasson will have a tremendous size advantage, sporting a five-inch advantage in height and six-inch advantage in reach. She’s also proven to be the better wrestler, at least in terms of Octagon statistics, though she may struggle to deal with Silva’s aggression and never-ending pace.

Neither fighter is known for their knockout power so expect three rounds of grappling. If Chiasson can fight a clean, technical contest then I don’t see any reason why she can’t stymie the Brazilian’s attack. My biggest concern is Chiasson becoming careless or getting sloppy in the transitions, which could set her up for a sneaky Silva submission. Barring any boneheaded mistakes, this should be Chiasson’s fight to lose — which is probably why she’ll lose it.

Prediction: Silva def. Chiasson by submission

170 lbs.: Ian “The Future” Garry (14-0) vs. Michael “Venom” Page (22-2)

Ian Garry remains undefeated under the UFC banner (7-0) and believes he’s destined to win the welterweight title. At just 26 years old and barely entering his competitive prime, there’s no reason to believe it’s not within reach. That said, his star lost some of its shine over the last 10 months following back-to-back decision victories over Neil Magny and Geoff Neal. I don’t want to minimize those performances, because “The Haitian Sensation” and “Handz of Steel” are notoriously tough outs, but it’s hard to accept Garry as the chosen one when Shavkat Rakhmonov is also undefeated at 170 pounds, having already finished both Magny and Neal by submission. In addition, UFC 303 will mark the first time Garry has ever faced a legitimate striker and not just a brawler with heavy hands. It’s also worth mentioning that Michael Page — the same height as Garry at 6’3” — will have a five-inch reach advantage, and is probably the only opponent to date that actually knows how to use it.

Like Garry, the 37 year-old Page has been surfing calm seas for most of his career. Even seasoned MMA fans will struggle to name anyone of note from “Venom’s” hit list, outside of Douglas Lima and Paul “Semtex” Daley. I don’t want to go crazy over his debut win over Kevin Holland at UFC 299, because “Trailblazer” already showed us against Stephen Thompson that he is ill-equipped to deal with long, rangy strikers. Page was a decorated kickboxer with multiple world titles before transitioning to MMA and similar to the aforementioned “Wonderboy,” can be derailed by opponents who avoid the fancy footwork and grind their way to the scorecards. Logan Storley was able to do enough to steal a split from Page at Bellator 281 and it would not surprise me to see Garry follow a similar blueprint. It may depend on how often “The Future” relies on his wrestling, a strategy that factored into his 2023 win over Magny.

This is a fight that deserves five rounds because the opening frame will no doubt serve as an adjustment period for both fighters, based on their respective styles. There’s an argument to be made for Page treating Garry like an Irish Wac-A-Mole, I just have a hard time believing Garry won’t make the necessary adjustments and turn this into a grapple-fest — assuming he doesn’t get his dome dented a la Evangelista Santos back in summer 2016. “The Future” probably won’t be taking home any performance bonuses at UFC 303; but hey, winning ugly is still winning.

Prediction: Garry def. Page by decision

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