UFC 303 LIVE: Pereira vs Prochazka fight updates and results after Dan Ige steps in on four hours’ notice
Alex Pereira’s remarkable MMA run continued on Saturday, as the Brazilian knocked out Jiri Prochazka for the second time in seven months, retaining the UFC light-heavyweight title.
Pereira, a kickboxing great, became a two-weight UFC champion within two years of joining the promotion, stopping Prochazka in November to win the vacant 205lb belt – having previously held the 185lb strap. And on Saturday (29 June), in the main event of UFC 303, Pereira knocked out Prochazka in the second round again, recording a second defence of the light-heavyweight title.
In the final second of round one, Pereira dropped Prochazka with a signature left hook. Then, in the opening moments of round two, Pereira dropped the Czech with a head kick. Pereira then finished the former champion on the canvas with ground and pound.
Pereira, 36, and Prochazka, 31, stepped up after the original main event, Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler, collapsed this month. Re-live updates and see all results from UFC 303, below.
UFC 303 LIVE
Conor McGregor was due to headline against Michael Chandler but suffered a broken toe
New main event pitted Alex Pereira against Jiri Prochazka in a light-heavyweight title rematch
Pereira knocked out Prochazka for the second time in seven months to retain the belt
In a last-minute change, Dan Ige replaced the ill Brian Ortega to fight Diego Lopes
Lopes won the co-main event on points after Ige stepped in on four hours’ notice
Controversial Irish star Ian Machado Garry outpointed London’s Michael ‘Venom’ Page
Machado Garry accused Page of bribing coaches for information before the fight
UFC 303 LIVE: Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka 2
06:28 , Alex Pattle
Alex Pereira crushes Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 as remarkable run continues
UFC 303 LIVE: Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka 2
06:15 , Alex Pattle
UFC 303 LIVE: Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka 2
06:01 , Alex Pattle
Pereira: “I didn’t know how I was gonna win, but I knew I was gonna come here and leave this Octagon happy.
“I think [heavyweight] is in my future. There didn’t seem to be too much interest in the organisation, but I’m here.
“These are the people paying for this, so if it’s what they want, I think it’s inevitable.”
UFC 303 LIVE: Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka 2
05:54 , Alex Pattle
Round two
OH! The first act of round two is a huge head kick by Pereira, dropping Prochazka again!
He pours on ground and pound, and it’s ALL OVER!! It’s waved off!
Prochazka tries to stand, and he’s wobbling all over the place.
Alex Pereira def. Jiri Prochazka via second-round KO (head kick, 0:13)
UFC 303 LIVE: Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka 2
05:51 , Alex Pattle
Round one
Both men stand orthodox. Prochazka switches stances early. Pereira kicks low, as he loves to do.
Prochazka presses forward. Pereira looks to deter him with a stern jab. More leg kicks from the Brazilian, and also his Czech challenger.
Decent left hook by Pereira – his signature shot – then another powerful jab. Prochazka with a jab of his own, but he’s tagged with a cross.
Body kick from Pereira. Left hook from Prochazka. There’s a tension in the T-Mobile Arena.
Prochazka rolls under a hook and gets a body lock, forcing Pereira to the fence. Prochazka tries to trap one of the champion’s legs for a trip, but Pereira gets free and moves into space.
We’re late in the round now. Lots of low kicks from Pereira. OH! And he drops Prochazka heavily on the buzzer! It’s a left hook, of course!
UFC 303 LIVE: Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka 2
05:49 , Alex Pattle
Round one
Both men stand orthodox. Prochazka switches stances early. Pereira kicks low, as he loves to do.
Prochazka presses forward. Pereira looks to deter him with a stern jab. More leg kicks from the Brazilian, and also his Czech challenger.
Decent left hook by Pereira – his signature shot – then another powerful jab. Prochazka with a jab of his own, but he’s tagged with a cross.
Body kick from Pereira.
UFC 303 LIVE: Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka 2
05:43 , Alex Pattle
Just as in the moments before their first fight, there’s an intense staredown between Pereira and Prochazka from across the ring.
HERE WE GO!
UFC 303 LIVE: Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka 2
05:32 , Alex Pattle
Next up: the main event! Alex Pereira defends the light-heavyweight title against former champion Jiri Prochazka.
Pereira stopped Prochazka in round two in November, claiming the vacant belt, and many felt that a rematch would occur some day.
That day is today.
Their first fight was great fun. Let’s hope for more of the same...
UFC 303 LIVE: Diego Lopes vs Dan Ige
05:18 , Alex Pattle
Round three
Ige surely needs a finish here. He backs up Lopes and tries a left hook.
Lopes with a flurry of his own hooks – some to the body, some to the head. Decent jab by the Mexican.
Hardddd right hand by Ige, though! Lopes reacts by trying for a takedown, but Ige defends well. Lopes is checking the clock... Big right hook by Ige, then a left. Cross now.
Lopes looks tired. Body hook by Ige, then a southpaw cross. Lopes shoots a single-leg from distance, turns it into a double-leg, and gets ahold of Ige against the fence.
Ige wriggles free again, but he enters Lopes’s guard! He should have kept distance and thrown ground and pound! Eventually he lands some good punches from in the guard, to be fair; will that be enough to seal the round?
Yes, but only after Lopes took the first two! It’s official:
Diego Lopes def. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC 303 LIVE: Diego Lopes vs Dan Ige
05:11 , Alex Pattle
Round two
Lopes kicks low. Ige lands a right hand up top then tries a jab. Lopes with a well-timed counter right.
Ige switches stances back and forth. Lopes catches a head kick, and Ige crashes to the mat. Lopes is very slick in taking the back!
Ige stands, and he’s fighting Lopes’s hands. He tries to shake off Lopes, but he can’t; the pair fall to the mat, and Lopes works on a rear naked choke...
Ige fires off punches to deter the Mexican, who still has his back.
UFC 303 LIVE: Diego Lopes vs Dan Ige
05:02 , Alex Pattle
Round one
This one should be fun. Both fighters stand orthodox. Lopes kicks low and outside. Good knee in the clinch by the Mexican.
A flurry of punches from Lopes now, and Ige covers up, looking to pick his counters. The Hawaiian was already due to fight soon, by the way – on 20 July, so he’s in good shape despite this last-minute fight.
Lopes leaps into range with a knee, and although it doesn’t land, it gets him close enough for a right hand.
A scrappy boxing exchange ensues. Ige lands a decent uppercut in there. Lopes kicks low, and Ige goes for a double-leg...
Lopes defends with a D’Arce choke! But Ige stays calm and escapes late in the round!
UFC 303 LIVE: Diego Lopes vs Dan Ige
04:49 , Alex Pattle
Next up, the last-minute co-main event!
A reminder that Brian Ortega withdrew tonight due to illness, and Dan Ige travelled to the arena, weighed in, and will step in to face Diego Lopes!! Remarkable.
It’ll be a 165lb catchweight bout. Originally, Ortega vs Lopes – which was a late-notice fight itself – was set to be at 145lb. Yesterday it was moved to 155lb due to Ortega’s poor weigh-cut.
And then, tonight’s drama!
UFC 303 LIVE: Anthony Smith vs Roman Dolidze
04:42 , Alex Pattle
Round three
Dolidze is landing some grazing punches early in round three. Smith just can’t get going.
Dolidze with some long jabs. Finally Smith starts to land intermittently.
Dolidze with a jab, a front kick and a spinning back kick. He’ll get this one on the scorecards.
Roman Dolidze def. Anthony Smith via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC 303 LIVE: Anthony Smith vs Roman Dolidze
04:36 , Alex Pattle
Round two
A good left hand has Smith stumbling backwards, and Dolidze helps the American to the canvas with a takedown. Some ground and pound from the Georgian now.
Smith is struggling to defend, but eventually Dolidze slows down.
Late in the round, Smith is able to stand against the fence, and he immediately tries to unload some offence.
UFC 303 LIVE: Anthony Smith vs Roman Dolidze
04:27 , Alex Pattle
Round one
Under way! Dolidze stands southpaw, Smith orthodox. Dolidze throws out a few kicks – low, to the body, to the head.
Lots of feints from Smith, who kicks low himself. Dolidze returns fire then tries an overhand right. Another low kick from Dolidze, then one from Smith, who is pressing forward.
Dolidze keeps smiling at Smith. The Georgian wings an overhand right, but American Smith is just out of range. More low kicks from each man.
A left hook from Dolidze puts Smith off balance, at the end of a scrappy exchange.
UFC 303 LIVE: Mayra Bueno Silva vs Macy Chiasson
04:07 , Alex Pattle
Round two
Again Chiasson gets into a firefight, but she’s eating the heavier shots. She does pull off a trip, however, and she’s in Bueno Silva’s guard now.
Big elbow from Chiasson cuts open Bueno Silva’s forehead – that’s a nasty gash. Bueno Silva goes for an armbar, but Chiasson stays calm.
Bueno Silva eventually gives up. Chiasson stands and kicks the legs of Bueno Silva, until she decides to let the Brazilian stand.
As soon as Bueno Silva does, the referee stops the action so her cut can be inspected...
And a doctor advises the ref to stop the fight! Chiasson gets the TKO! Blood is leaking down Bueno Silva’s face.
Macy Chiasson def. Mayra Bueno Silva via second-round TKO (doctor stoppage, 1:58)
UFC 303 LIVE: Mayra Bueno Silva vs Macy Chiasson
04:01 , Alex Pattle
Round one
Bueno Silva presses forward and lands a decent hook and an elbow at close range. Chiasson tries to fire back with a left hook and misses.
Good knees from Bueno Silva at close range. She and Chiasson clinch along the fence, but Chiasson eventually gets free.
Nice wheel kick by Bueno Silva! She buries body shots into Chiasson’s ribs at close range now! She’s punching with real intention.
Good variety of striking offence by Bueno Silva so far. Now Chiasson lands knees in the clinch.
There have been a few exchanges in which both women have really let their hands go, and Bueno Silva definitely carries the greater power.
UFC 303 LIVE: Ian Machado Garry vs Michael ‘Venom’ Page
03:47 , Alex Pattle
Ian Machado Garry def. Michael “Venom” Page via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
“Nothing surprised me, I knew how good he was,” says Garry. “For me, it was patience; patience was the key to victory for me today.
“He did a great, great gameplan today. Round of applause for MVP. It was a great fight.”
UFC 303 LIVE: Ian Machado Garry vs Michael ‘Venom’ Page
03:39 , Alex Pattle
Round three
MVP likely took round two based on significant strikes, even though he spent a spell of the round defending in a grappling exchange and defending a submission.
Both men are known for their striking, with MVP being the more flamboyant of the two, and he’s frozen Garry like no one else has.
Garry gets another body lock, but he gets his momentum wrong and falls back, with MVP in mount! Garry reacts quickly to get closed guard, however.
Garry lands a few elbows from the bottom. Eventually MVP stands and allows Garry back to his feet, greeting him with a body kick.
Beautiful jab by MVP, but he misses with a right hand and finds himself in another body lock. Garry gets his hooks in again and tries to take down the Londoner.
No luck, so Garry opts to hang on to MVP’s back and seek a rear naked choke. No luck with that either, and the crowd boos. The fighters reach the buzzer in that position.
This could be a very close one on the scorecards; Garry definitely took round one, MVP should have round two, and round three was razor close...
UFC 303 LIVE: Ian Machado Garry vs Michael ‘Venom’ Page
03:34 , Alex Pattle
Round two
Hard right cross by MVP! He’s so good when at darting in and out of range, as he does here!
More stance switches from MVP. A jab and a grazing overhand right by the Londoner. He really loaded up on that overhand – good head movement by Garry to evade the worst of it, to be fair.
Leg kick by MVP, who leans back to avoid a head kick. MVP with another wild swing, though, missing a hook and allowing Garry to get a body lock.
Boos from the crowd, as Garry pushes MVP to the fence. After some time, the referee warns Garry that he might separate the pair due to a lack of activity.
MVP is able to slip free, and Garry falls to the mat but grabs a leg lock. It looks precarious for MVP for a moment... but he slips out again!
Another good flurry by MVP, as the pair get back to standing and striking. MVP just misses with a flying knee. Another big overhand from the Londoner.
UFC 303 LIVE: Ian Machado Garry vs Michael ‘Venom’ Page
03:27 , Alex Pattle
Round one
Both men stand orthodox. Garry kicks to the body. Lots of feints by MVP, who switches stances as he presses forward.
He’s back orthodox, and he lands a decent right hand. Garry catches a high kick, though, drives MVP to the fence, and takes him down.
MVP almost makes it back to his feet, but he’s dragged back down. Garry takes MVP’s back and gets his hooks in. Now he’s got a body triangle.
Garry is working on the rear naked choke... He looks to have it locked in, but somehow MVP survives for quite some time – and eventually strips Garry’s grip!!
MVP makes it to the buzzer.
UFC 303 LIVE: Ian Machado Garry vs Michael ‘Venom’ Page
02:51 , Alex Pattle
Next up, the main card! It begins with a welterweight bout with genuine ramifications at the top of the division.
Controversial Irish star Ian Machado Garry faces London veteran Michael “Venom” Page.
Will this be the fight of the night, as some have predicted? Or will the two technical strikers cancel each other out? We’ll soon find out.
Earlier this week, Garry accused “MVP” of trying to bribe the Irishman’s coaches for information ahead of this fight...
UFC star accuses opponent of bribing coaches for information before fight
UFC 303 LIVE: Joe Pyfer vs Marc-Andre Barriault
02:36 , Alex Pattle
The final prelim fight of the night is up next: Joe Pyfer vs Marc-Andre Barriault at middleweight.
Round one
Pyfer stalks Barriault early, but neither man is throwing much. A low kick by Pyfer. Now he sticks out a jab.
An overhand right just about gets through for Pyfer, and he adds some hooks to the body... Barriault is covering up! He must be hurt!
OH! Another overhand by Pyfer, and Barriault drops to his knees! One more right hand, and Barriault faceplants! It’s over!
Joe Pyfer def. Marc-Andre Barriault via first-round KO (punches, 1:25)
UFC 303 LIVE: Dan Ige replaces Brian Ortega against Diego Lopes at last minute
02:33 , Alex Pattle
As mentioned in a few posts tonight, the UFC 303 card has undergone so many changes, one of which involved the co-main event – Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes – being moved from 145lb to 155lb yesterday.
HOWEVER, it has officially been confirmed that Ortega is out of the fight with a fever, and that Dan Ige – who trains in Las Vegas – is replacing him on short notice.
We’ve had some very short-notice fights in the UFC, but this is the WILDEST ever.
It was Ortega’s poor weight-cut that caused the original weight change against Lopes, by the way, after the pair were named in the FIFTH attempted co-main event of UFC 303.
Now, it will be Lopes vs Ige in a 165lb catchweight bout.
UFC 303 LIVE: Cub Swanson vs Andre Fili
02:24 , Alex Pattle
Round three
Another clean right cross by Swanson, and another! He overshoots with one punch, though, and Fili ducks under for a single-leg.
Fili gets the takedown, but Swanson is quickly back to his feet, defending against the fence. Swanson gets free, and both men land clean punches in the ensuing exchange. Both men check kicks, too.
Again Fili goes to the well with another takedown attempt – a double-leg this time – but to no avail.
Hard right hook by Swanson, but again Fili grapples the 40-year-old to halt the striking threat. Swanson slips free and lands two more right hooks in the final seconds of the fight!
Andre Fili def. Cub Swanson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC 303 LIVE: Cub Swanson vs Andre Fili
02:13 , Alex Pattle
Round one
Swanson, 40, stands orthodox, while Fili, 34, is southpaw. Swanson with a cross to the body, now one upstairs. Fili lands a knee to the body.
Fili with a head kick then a body kick. Stiff jab by Swanson, and another. Oblique kick by Swanson. Fili’s left hook has been off target a few times, and Swanson’s jabs have landed underneath it.
Another body kick by Fili. Swanson backs him up and lands a combination against the fence.
Round two
Fili holds Swanson against the fence. There are some boos for a period of relative inactivity.
Eventually they separate, and Swanson jolts back Fili’s head with a pair of right crosses! Fili fires back with an uppercut!
He ends the round with a single-leg, driving Swanson to the fence again.
UFC 303 LIVE: Cub Swanson vs Andre Fili
02:03 , Alex Pattle
Another great MMA nickname: Andre “Touchy” Fili.
He’s in featherweight action next, against Cub Swanson.
UFC 303 LIVE: Charles Jourdain vs Jean Silva
01:48 , Alex Pattle
Round two
OH! The uppercut is there again for Silva, and to devastating effect this time! He defends a single-leg takedown against the fence, and as soon as Jourdain lets go and stands up, Silva drills the uppercut.
It’s a heavy landing for Jourdain, whose head bounces off the canvas, and it’s a walk-off KO for Silva. It had been coming.
Jean Silva def. Charles Jourdain via second-round KO (uppercut, 1:22)
Silva is interviewed in the cage, wearing some comedic glasses (a reference to his team, The Fighting Nerds), but the laughter is soon drowned under tears. Silva is very emotional right now, very happy.
UFC 303 LIVE: Charles Jourdain vs Jean Silva
01:42 , Alex Pattle
Round one
Canada’s Jourdain stands southpaw. Brazilian Silva is orthodox.
Silva kicks low and hard early on. Jourdain misses with a head kick. A frantic close-range exchange ends with Silva missing a spinning back fist attempt. Another head-kick miss from Jourdain, who has followed these misses by darting off to his right.
Silva is pressing forward, backing up Jourdain, but he’s not throwing much yet. Under that pressure, though, Jourdain shoots a double-leg takedown.
Silva tries to counter with a guillotine, but he can’t close the grip. There’s a brief spell of grappling on the canvas, but Silva soon scrambles out and back to his feet.
OH! Jourdain rushes onto a counter left hand, and he’s dropped badly! Silva throws some clean ground and pound, but he soon eases off and beckons Jourdain back to his feet!
Before long, Jourdain is rocked again – in part from an uppercut – and he tries another takedown. Against the fence, Silva looks to deter the Canadian with elbows to the head.
The round ends with a takedown by Jourdain, and an unsuccessful armbar attempt from Silva.
UFC 303 LIVE: Charles Jourdain vs Jean Silva
01:24 , Alex Pattle
Next up, men’s featherweight action! Charles Jourdain takes on Jean Silva.
“Air” Jourdain is one of the best nicknames in MMA, surely.
Silva came in 1.5lb over the featherweight limit of 146lb.
UFC 303 LIVE: Payton Talbott and Yanis Ghemmouri
01:18 , Alex Pattle
We kick off the regular prelims with a bantamweight bout between Payton Talbott and Yanis Ghemmouri.
Talbott, 25, is one of the most highly-rated UFC prospects in some time.
Round one
Talbott with a HUGE right cross inside the first 15 seconds, and Ghemmouri is dropped hard; he hits his head on the canvas badly.
Talbott pours on ground and pound, and Ghemmouri appears to go out... The referee steps in and waves off the fight!!
THAT is why Talbott is so highly rated. He gets the win in 19 seconds.
Payton Talbott def. Yanis Ghemmouri via first-round KO (punches, 0:19)
UFC 303 LIVE: Regular prelims under way
01:01 , Alex Pattle
The regular prelims are under way!
Our live, round-by-round updates will begin in a few moments, but first: Here’s a round-up of the early-prelim results...
UFC 303 LIVE: Robert Whittaker interview
Sunday 30 June 2024 00:55 , Alex Pattle
This week, Indy Sport interviewed Robert Whittaker (who may or may not be this writer’s favourite fighter, dating back to said writer’s pre-journalistic days. Of course, no bias anymore...).
Here’s what the former middleweight champion had to say about starching Ikram Aliskerov, his cancelled clash with Khamzat Chimaev, his next fight – and life in general:
Robert Whittaker on the Khamzat Chimaev twist and the performance of a lifetime
UFC 303 LIVE: Jiri Prochazka asks Alex Pereira not to use rituals before title fight
Sunday 30 June 2024 00:42 , Alex Pattle
Prochazka has called on Pereira not to use “rituals” or “spiritual things” ahead of their main event.
Prochazka is known for his commitment to samurai teachings, but he believes that Pereira’s own pre-fight preparation may be giving him an unfair advantage.
“I think he believes in a lot of things, the help of spiritual things,” said the former champion this week, speaking on The MMA Hour. “That’s something that I think he can’t fight without.
“I want to keep that in a clear line: just sport performance, pure performance, man versus man. I think he doesn’t know how to fight without [spiritual guidance], because he uses these things every time.
“Everybody knows he’s working with some shamans from his hometown. He believes in some spiritual help from them. I believe, too, but I believe in the best human performance – right here, right now, without magic.
“It’s working [for him], but I believe in a clear way; I want to win in that way.”
More here:
UFC contender asks champion not to use rituals before title fight
UFC 303 LIVE: Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka
Saturday 29 June 2024 18:21 , Alex Pattle
Alex Pereira defends his world title against Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 303 tonight, as the light-heavyweights clash for the second time in seven months.
In November, Pereira stopped the former champion in round two, winning the vacant belt in the process. With that, the Brazilian became a two-weight titlist, having previously claimed middleweight gold. Now Prochazka gets a shot at revenge, and another shot at the belt he held in 2022 – before injury cut short the Czech’s reign.
UFC 303, which plays out at Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena, was due to be headlined by Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler, but a broken toe ruled out the Irishman. As such, Pereira and Prochazka step up here, and the rest of the card has also undergone several changes.
In the co-main event, former 145lb title challenger Brian Ortega faces rising contender Diego Lopes. Beforehand, controversial Irish star Ian Machado Garry fights London veteran Michael “Venom” Page.
