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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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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Like it or not, Ian Machado Garry remains perfect in his MMA career.

The 26-year-old Irishman won a back-and-forth battle over Michael Page on Saturday at UFC 303 to extend his unbeaten octagon run to 8-0. While Page found success in the striking department, Garry showcased his grappling to edge out the first and third rounds, and even nearly caught Page with a tight rear-naked choke attempt in the bout’s opening minutes.

After winning a decision by unanimous 29-28 scores, Garry reflected on his handiwork.

“I’m f*cking pissed I didn’t land that submission in the first round,” he said at UFC 303’s post-fight press conference. “I am, I’m livid. But you know what? I showed so much evolution today. I frustrated him. Like, I snake-charmed the snake-charmer.

“He likes people to do that dance with him, to move, to keep that flow, that rhythm, and he works well off that rhythm, that timing. I hit him with stealth mode. I walked him down, I preyed him. He didn’t have a lot of success, I didn’t have a lot of success on the feet. I wobbled him in the second round with a right hand, I seen his eyes go, and I was like, ‘Patience.’ I’ve been saying all week — I said it to Demian [Maia], I said it to Diego [Lima], I said it to everyone on my team. The key to beating Michael ‘Venom’ Page was patience.”

Though he has become somewhat of a polarizing figure for the MMA fan base, Garry (18-0) continues to ascend up the welterweight ranks. His UFC wins over Daniel Rodriguez, Neil Magny, Geoff Neal, and now Page have carried him to the brink of title contention.

Prior to his booking against Page, Garry campaigned heavily for a bout against three-time title challenger Colby Covington. And while he remained open to that matchup after UFC 303, Garry now has a new name in mind — one few welterweights have dared to call out.

“Look, I’m going to have a chat with Hunter [Campbell] and Dana [White] later on and figure out what’s next. There’s some big names, there’s some cool matchups,” Garry said. “This Shavkat [Rakhmonov], 18-0, undefeated — I’d love to get my hands on him. I’ve trained with him. I have nothing but respect for the guy, but I want to be the first guy to take his ‘0,’ and I know I can do it. I’ve just beat the fastest guy in the division other than me. When it comes to the striking and skill set, I can do it. When it comes to the grappling, we’ve seen the growth that I have. I’m excited to go out there and prove it against someone like him.”

Rakhmonov is currently tied with former champion Kamaru Usman as MMA Fighting’s No. 2 ranked welterweight in the world. He is widely recognized as one of the top threats to the UFC’s 170-pound title and has finished every bout of his professional MMA career, stopping the likes of Stephen Thompson, Neal, Magny, Alex Oliveira, Michel Prazeres, and more.

As fate would have it, it didn’t take long for Rakhmonov to respond to Garry’s callout.

“Looks like Ian forgot what happened during those training sessions,” Rakhmonov wrote. “I don’t mind reminding him in the future.”

A win over a touted contender like Rakhmonov would likely propel Garry to the title shot he has long coveted. He’s confident it’s only a matter of when — not if — that moment comes.

“I am on my road to destiny to be one of the greatest of all-time,” Garry said. “I am going to do that by any means necessary, and I don’t care how it gets done.

“In 10 years’ time, my name is going to be in that GOAT conversation. You’re going to [ask], ‘Who is the greatest of all-time?’ You’re going to say, ‘Jon Jones, GSP [Georges St-Pierre], Anderson Silva, Ian Machado Garry.’ I am going to have my name in that conversation. Because it’s opinion based, if you’re Brazilian, you’ll say Anderson Silva. If you’re American, you might say Jon Jones. We can all sit here and have all of our opinions. As long as my name is in that conversation, I have had a successful career.”

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Failing to make good on his return to the Octagon overnight at UFC 303, former lightweight title challenger, Michael Chandler confirmed a clash with symbolic BMF champion, Max Holloway was on the table for him, following the withdrawal of would-be common-foe, Conor McGregor.

Chandler, the current number six ranked lightweight contender, was slated to headline UFC 303 overnight in Las Vegas in a welterweight fight with McGregor, until the Dubliner withdrew from the clash citing a fractured toe on his left foot.

And still attending the T-Mobile Arena card, Chandler watched on as short-notice headliner, Alex Pereira scored a thunderous second round high-kick knockout win over Jiri Prochazka, successfully defending his light heavyweight crown in the process.

Michael Chandler reveals offer to take on Max Holloway at UFC 303

Appearing backstage to speak with assembled media, Chandler insisted he was still confident of fighting McGregor in the latter’s immediate return to action, however, confirmed speculation that he had been offered a fight with Hawaiian star, Holloway at UFC 303.

“I think it’s public knowledge at this point that Max’s (Holloway) name was floated out there in these last couple of weeks [for a fight at UFC 303],” Michael Chandler told assembled media. “I have a ton of respect for Max Holloway – not just because he’s a bad mofo, but because he dubbed it [the BMF title] the ‘Blessed Man Forever’, you know?” 

“… I got a ton of respect for him – I would love to compete against him,” Michael Chandler explained. “I guess it’s up to the court of public opninon on whether or not I am a BMF caliber guy. I have my opinions – I think I am, and I would love to share the Octagon with Max at some point in my career.”

At the time of publication, Holloway has been linked to a featherweight title charge against the unbeaten champion, Ilia Topuria – with a showdown between the duo targeted to feature at UFC 307 in October in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Would you like to see Michael Chandler take on Max Holloway in the future?

LowKickMMA.com

The UFC 303 main card kicked off on Saturday with a welterweight bout between seventh-ranked Ian Machado Garry and 14th-ranked Michael “Venom” Page.

Page entered the fight coming off a promotional debut win over Kevin Holland in his last outing in March.  The former Bellator MMA standout was on a two-fight winning streak.  Garry made the walk to the octagon inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas undefeated and predicted that he’d outclass the Englishman.    

Page pressured Garry early in the opening round.  He bounced on the outside in his sideways karate-style stance.  Garry remained patient looking to counter.  Page threw a front kick and Garry caught it and put Page on his back 90 seconds into the frame.  

Page worked to stand as Garry looked to takes his back.  Garry took his back and applied a body triangle.  Garry locked on a rear-naked choke.  Page desperately tried to defend the submission attempt and did.  Garry remained on his back with the body triangle locked in place.  Garry delivered short left hands in the closing seconds.  MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Garry.  

Page inched forward and landed a hard right hand to start the second round.  Page switched stances and moved into the pocket with a right hand.  Page connected with another right hand.  Page appeared to be the faster of the two.  Garry connected with a counter right hand.  Page closed the distance and Garry clinched.  Garry delivered knees to the legs of Page and foot stomps.  Garry dropped down for a leg.  

He isolated a leg and Page landed a punch to the body.  Page fell to his back and Garry let the leg go and scrambled to his feet.  Page connected with a combination and then a side kick to the body.  Page leaped in with a flying knee.  Garry moved away and Page landed his jab.  Page’s right hand found a home again.  On the fight, Page was having his way.  MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Page.

Garry landed his jab to start the final round.  He delivered a leg kick.  After taking a kick to the body, Page closed the distance.  Garry changed levels and pulled guard.  Garry applied a body triangle from the bottom.  Garry delivered elbows from the bottom.  Page stood out of Garry’s guard.  Page missed with a huge right hand.  Garry changed levels and took Page’s back.  

Page remained standing with Garry on his back.  Garry worked to secure a choke.  He delivered a few punches and went back to searching for the choke.  Garry delivered short left hands in the closing moments.  The final frame was a tough round to score.  MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Garry.  

The judges scored the fight for Garry via unanimous decision.  The scorecards read 29-28, 29-28, and 29-28.  

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Conor McGregor will fight again someday. And Michael Chandler will be waiting for him.

Saturday’s UFC 303 event was originally set to be headlined by McGregor and Chandler facing off in a welterweight bout, the culmination of a long rivalry that included numerous jabs on social media and in interviews, as well as a stint as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 31. But the June 29 booking eventually unraveled in deflating fashion, as McGregor first pulled out of a press conference in Dublin and then withdrew from the fight with a toe injury.

Currently, McGregor’s comeback from a three-year hiatus remains in limbo and he has been non-committal about making the Chandler fight happen.

Chandler isn’t discouraged by anything McGregor has to say about the matter.

“I didn’t even really think about it much,” Chandler said during a backstage scrum at UFC 303 in Las Vegas. “He tried to steal my tagline though, I see what he did there with the, ‘See you at the top.’ I’m not really that worried about it. Conor can’t— at this point, and I’ve said this publicly, I’m not letting him off the hook. For a while there, yeah, of course he would love to fight somebody other than Michael Chandler, with what I bring to the octagon.

“I think there’s no way he comes back to the UFC and doesn’t fight me. So if I do pivot, if there are other names being thrown out, if there are huge fights that I can go ahead and pivot and take, whenever he is ready to come back, his road back to the UFC goes straight through Nashville, Tennessee, and Michael Chandler — and that’s it.”

The severity of McGregor’s injury has come under scrutiny, considering his reputation for rarely pulling out of fights throughout his 16-year career. When McGregor revealed that the injury happened to his pinky toe, he received little sympathy, especially given his harsh criticism of other fighters who have been affected by injuries in the past.

Chandler declined to take shots at McGregor and his broken pinky toe, instead looking at how McGregor’s withdrawal reflects upon his own reputation.

“It also is just somewhat of a feather in my cap,” Chandler said. “If Conor was lined up against a lot of other guys, he probably would have pushed through and fought. But you don’t want to fight a guy like me with any kind of injuries. He’s going to come into the next fight, whenever it is, with bumps and bruises. Obviously, he was hobbling around on it and probably said, ‘I could fight, but I’m not fighting that guy.’ We’ll just figure it out as we go.”

Chandler has been out of action for some time as well, most recently having fought at UFC 291 in November 2022 when he lost by submission to Dustin Poirier. Though he hasn’t been cashing any fight purses, Chandler insisted he’s doing well financially based on business interests outside of UFC.

Other names have been suggested for Chandler, including past opponent Charles Oliveira and reigning “BMF” champion Max Holloway, but he said no formal offers have been made. He is certain that the McGregor fight will happen eventually, and when it does, it will arguably be the biggest feel-good moment of his fighting career.

“At the very onset of this process, that size of a fight with that amount of eyeballs, that’s what we’re striving to as mixed martial artists,” Chandler said. “We get into this sport to be the best and to be on the biggest stages under the brightest lights on the biggest platforms, and that checks all boxes.

“Now, especially with the storyline, with the intrigue, waiting in the wings, the buildup, the marination of this entire thing, yeah, I think it’s going to be very satisfying when I make true on my word to show up whenever the next date is and knock him out. It was going to be the second round and now he lit a fire under me, it’s probably going to be the first round.”

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Jiri Prochazka came up short in his attempt to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight title by losing to Alex Pereira in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC 303 in Las Vegas, and he gave himself sort of an ultimatum.

The former UFC and RIZIN 205-pound champion lost via head kick knockout 18 seconds into the second round after being stunned at the buzzer in the first, and posted a video on his social media with his first words on the defeat.

“Hello everyone, thank you for all your support,” Prochazka said.“Thanks to you Alex for the fight. You [were] better. And only one thing goes on my mind, that I need to evolve to the next level — or don’t fight again. So simple, to be the strongest, this is the way. Thank you. See you in the gym.”

Check the video below.

Prochazka (30-5-1) was victorious in 14 of his past 16 MMA bouts dating back to 2015, but suffered both losses against “Poatan”. Both fighters agreed to step in on two weeks’ notice to save UFC 303 after Conor McGregor withdrew from the main event due to injury.

Pereira improved to 11-2 in MMA and 8-1 under the UFC banner with the knockout, his sixth since joining the UFC in 2021. The promotion has yet to confirm who will get the next crack at the light heavyweight belt.

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