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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Alex Pereira’s meteoric rise continued on Saturday night as he viciously knocked out Jiri Prochazka in their rematch for the light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 303. Following another highlight-reel finish, does “Poatan” remain in the light heavyweight division for another title defense, or does he move up to heavyweight for the chance to make history?

MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Jed Meshew, and Eric Jackman react to UFC 303, Pereira’s performance, the adjustments he made from the first fight with Prochazka, and if a move up for the chance to capture an unprecedented third divisional title could some sooner rather than later. Additionally, they discuss the chaos surrounding the co-main event, Dan Ige stepping in on just a few hours’ notice to face Diego Lopes to replace Brian Ortega, Lopes getting another win in the process, Ian Machado Garry’s stock following his decision win against Michael Page in the main card opener, and much more.

Watch the UFC 303 post-fight show above, or an audio-only version of the show can also be streamed below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your pods.

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Bonus Report
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UFC

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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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

This is the UFC 303 live blog for Diego Lopes vs. Dan Ige the co-main event fight on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Who saw this one coming? Up until just a couple hours ago, this fight was supposed to be Lopes taking on two-time featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega. But things change quickly in the UFC, and earlier today, Ortega was forced out of the fight due to illness. Normally in this situation, the fight just gets scrapped and it’s an unfortunate weekend for Lopes, but the MMA Gods and the powers that be decided to take mercy on the 2023 MMA Fighting Rookie of the Year with an 11th hour opponent swap.

Dan Ige, who lives in Las Vegas, was sitting at home when the UFC realized Ortega wouldn’t be able to fight, and the longtime veteran decided stake his claim for the most badass move of 2024 by offering to step in against Lopes on just a couple hours notice. After some finagling with the Nevada Athletic Commission, the fight was booked, and now we have a truly unprecedented event.

Check out the UFC 303 co-main event live blog below.

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After moving to 15-0 with a solid performance against ‘MVP’ at UFC 303, Ian Machado Garry has his sights set on taking Shavkat Rakhmonov’s ‘O.’

Garry returned to the Octagon on Saturday night and scored himself a unanimous decision victory over Michael ‘Venom’ Page in the evening’s main card opener. For three rounds, Garry executed a perfect game plan that saw him largely stifle Page’s unorthodox striking style, handing ‘Venom’ just his third career loss in 14 years.

Given Page was sitting seven spots below ‘The Future’ in the welterweight rankings, it’s unclear what impact, if any, Garry’s win will have on his position in the division. Regardless of that, the Irishman is ready for another step up in competition.

“I’m gonna have a chat with Hunter [Campbell] and Dana [White] to figure out what’s next,” Garry said at the post-fight press conference. “There’s some big names, there’s some cool matchups. This Shavkat, 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 ‘O’ and I know I can do it. I just beat the fastest guy in the division, other than me, when it comes to striking and skills so I know I can do it.

“When it comes to grappling, we’ve seen the growth that I have. I’m excited to go out there and prove it against someone like him.”

Is Ian Machado Garry the right fight for Shavkat Rakhmonov?

Shavkat Rakhmonov is a perfect 18-0 in his mixed martial arts career with six of those wins coming inside the Octagon. Perhaps even more impressive is his 100% finish rate, including eight knockouts and 10 submissions.

Rakhmonov’s last appearance went down at UFC 296 in December where he scored a second-round rear-naked choke against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.

That moved ‘Nomad’ to the No. 3 spot in the welterweight rankings with the only two fighters above him being Belal Muhammad and ex-champion Kamaru Usman.

LowKickMMA.com

UFC 303 took place on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.  Following the fights, the big winners and marquee names answered questions from the media during the event’s post-fight press conference.  

The event is headlined by a middleweight championship rematch between champion Alex Pereira and former titleholder Jiri Prochazka.

UFC 303 Post-Fight Press Conference

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts