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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 303: Pereira vs Procházka 2
Outlining The Matchups That Make Up This Weekend’s International Fight Week Pay-Per-View Card
By E. Spencer Kyte, on X @spencerkyte
Change is inevitable, and it’s not a bad thing either.
While some are unquestionably bummed out about the change atop the marquee for UFC 303 this weekend at T-Mobile Arena, let me just say this: Alex Pereira stepped up at UFC 295 in New York City and did so again at UFC 300, and both of those events turned out to be pretty, pretty, pretty good.
This is the Fight-By-Fight Preview for UFC 303… let’s get into it!
Main Event: Light Heavyweight Championship Main Event: Alex Pereira vs Jiří Procházka
Familiar foes step up to square off once again as Alex Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against Jiri Prochazka in a rematch of their championship clash from UFC 295.
“Poatan” has been a one-of-a-kind addition to the UFC roster over the past two-and-a-half years, posting a 7-1 record while claiming championship gold at both middleweight and light heavyweight. After stopping Prochazka in their first meeting last winter at Madison Square Garden, the Brazilian champion returned at UFC 300 and made quick work of ex-champ Jamahal Hill, dispatching the returning former titleholder in a little over three minutes.
Prochazka had positive moments in his first encounter with Pereira last year, but ultimately was felled by the champion’s powers. He too returned to action at UFC 300, stepping in with Aleksandar Rakic in a critical divisional pairing and leaving Las Vegas with both a second-round stoppage win and a Performance of the Night bonus.
The quickness of these two running things back doesn’t feel forced or uncalled for in this instance, as many wondered whether the first meeting was halted a little too quickly. They were being targeted to square off again later this year, and the vacancy at the top of the bill this weekend simply expedited things.
Stylistically, Pereira and Prochazka remain an interesting combo, with the former working behind sharp fundamentals and technical mastery, while the latter is free-flowing and inventive, each possessing fight-changing power in all their weapons.
Will we see the champion retain and collect a second consecutive win over his Czech adversary or will Prochazka become a two-time titleholder, setting up a possible trilogy fight between the two?
Other Main Card Matchups
Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes
The re-shuffling of things at UFC 303 wasn’t limited to the main event, as featherweight standouts Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes joined the fray for an electric co-main event matchup.
Ortega finally made his return to action after suffering a shoulder injury in his main event pairing with Yair Rodríguez in the summer of 2022 on Long Island, facing off with the former interim champ in the main event of the promotion’s return to Mexico City earlier this year. The now 33-year-old showed he’s still a formidable threat in the division, submitting Rodriguez in the early moments of the third round to move to 16-3 with one no contest for his career.
Lopes impressed in his short-notice debut last May, jumping into a fight with Movsar Evloev and holding his own before ultimately losing a decision to the undefeated Russian. Since then, the 29-year-old Brazilian has rocketed into the rankings on the strength of three straight expedient finishes, having shaved a little time off his previous UFC best in each successive contest.
On paper, this profiles as a potential all-star grappling clash, as both Ortega and Lopes are at their best when engaging on the canvas and attacking out of scrambles. That said, neither has ever been afraid to stand and trade, so no matter where this one plays out, expect there to be fireworks from the outset.
Anthony Smith vs Roman Dolidze
The middle fight on Saturday’s pay-per-view main card is the third new addition to the lineup, as Anthony Smith and Roman Dolidze face off in the final pairing of a fight that has gone through many iterations.
Questions about Smith’s standing in the division and future in the Octagon were quieted earlier this year when the former title challenger took full advantage of Vitor Petrino’s tactical miscues to collect a first-round submission win at UFC 301. The 35-year-old has been a fixture in the Top 15 since his arrival in the division six years ago, and remains a skilled, dangerous, veteran test for anyone hoping to climb the ranks at his expense.
The 35-year-old Dolidze entered 2023 on a four-fight winning streak and making headway in the middleweight division, but a loss to Marvin Vettori last year and another to Nassourdine Imavov in February sent him into this short-notice pairing on a two-fight slide. He’s fought at light heavyweight in the past, earning seven consecutive victories at 205 pounds, including his first two UFC outings, so it will be interesting to see how he handles the impromptu move back up in weight here.
Originally a matchup between Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. pencilled in as the co-main event, we’ve had Carlos Ulberg replace Rountree Jr. and Smith replace Hill, only to now see the surging striker from New Zealand forced out and replaced by Dolidze. Each construction carried some intrigue and this final incarnation is no different.
Mayra Bueno Silva vs Macy Chiasson
Mayra Bueno Silva and Macy Chiasson face off in a critical bantamweight pairing on Saturday’s main card.
Brazil’s Bueno Silva returns for the first time since her unsuccessful bid to claim the vacant bantamweight title earlier this year at UFC 297. The American Top Team representative started well in her clash with Raquel Pennington, but her gas tank ran dry and she wasn’t able to withstand the pressure the veteran put on her, bringing her quality run of results since moving to the division to a halt.
Chiasson has struggled to find consistent success since earning her way onto the UFC roster by winning the featherweight competition on Season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter. While she’s alternated wins and losses over her last five, Chiasson touches down in Las Vegas off the strongest performance of her career — a first-round submission win over Pannie Kianzad in mid-March.
Can “Sheetara” bounce back and instantly put herself back in the title conversation or will Chiasson collect a second straight win and stamp herself as a new name to consider at the top of the division?
Ian Machado Garry vs Michael Page
The UFC 303 main card kicks off with a matchup in the welterweight division, as undefeated Irishman Ian Machado Garry takes on British standout Michael “Venom” Page.
Machado Garry pushed his record to 14-0 earlier this year with a split decision win over Geoff Neal at UFC 298. The 26-year-old talent now has as many victories inside the Octagon as he did before arriving on the biggest stage in the sport, and will look to add to his total by taking out the dangerous and elusive Page this weekend.
“MVP” made his promotional debut in March, using his trademark brand of “out fighting” to frustrate and defeat Kevin Holland. Page is a difficult test for anyone in the division — a karate and kickboxing stylist who likes to dart in, land shots, and escape to open space quickly — and it will be interesting to see how well he can make use of the five-inch reach advantage he carries into this one.
This is a fascinating pairing that is going to tell us a great deal about where Machado Garry is at in his development and where he could end up in the next couple years. Many believe there is a clear path to victory for “The Future” should he manage to get his hands on Page and put him on the deck, so it will be curious to see if he pursues that route or opts to engage in a striking battle with the seasoned veteran.
Preliminary Card Fights
Joe Pyfer vs Marc-Andre Barriault
Middleweights Joe Pyfer and Marc-Andre Barriault pair off in the final preliminary card bout of the night.
Pyfer had a headlining assignment against Jack Hermansson last time out, landing on the wrong side of the scorecards against the Scandinavian veteran back in February, ending his five-fight winning streak. After registering a pair of wins in 2023, Barriault dropped a competitive split decision to Chris Curtis in his first appearance of the year back at UFC 297 in Toronto.
Cub Swanson vs Andre Fili
Veteran featherweights Cub Swanson and Andre Fili face off in what should be a thoroughly entertaining battle for as long as it lasts.
Now 40 and shifting more and more into coaching, Swanson competes for the first time since registering a unanimous decision win over Hakeem Dawodu last August, and having won four of his last five in the division. Fili has been consistently inconsistent over the last three-plus years, having gone nine consecutive fights without similar results in back-to-back fights.
Charles Jourdain vs Jean Silva
All-action French-Canadian Charles Jourdain and Fighting Nerds representative Jean Silva collide here in what should be another electric pairing in the featherweight division this weekend at UFC 303.
Jourdain has gone 6-6-1 in his first 13 UFC appearances, offering flashes of brilliance and tremendous upside at times, while struggling to execute effectively in other instances. A member of last year’s DWCS graduating class, Silva posted a first-round stoppage win over Westin Wilson in is promotional debut earlier this year, pushing his overall winning streak to nine in the process.
Payton Talbott vs Yanis Ghemmouri
Bantamweights Payton Talbott and Yanis Ghemmouri face off in the first televised preliminary card fight of the night this weekend.
After impressing last season on Dana White’s Contender Series and in his first UFC appearance, Talbott took things up a notch in March, registering a second-round stoppage win over Cameron Saaiman to move to 8-0 overall and establish himself as one to watch closely in the 135-pound weight class. Ghemmouri competes in the Octagon for the second time, looking to bounce back from a stoppage loss to William Gomis in his debut last year in Paris.
Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs Gillian Robertson
Strawweight veterans Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Gillian Robertson meet in a matchup that was moved back from UFC 302 earlier this month.
The 38-year-old Waterson-Gomez touches down in Las Vegas looking to snap out of a funk, having lost four straight and six of her last seven dating back to the fall of 2019. Robertson has been one of the most active competitors in the UFC since the start of 2020, making 10 starts and compiling a 6-4 record, with five of those victories coming by way of stoppage.
Andrei Arlovski vs Martin Buday
Heavyweights aiming to get back into the win column meet here as Andrei Arlovski takes on Martin Buday.
The 45-year-old former champion Arlovksi arrives at UFC 303 on a three-fight slide, with his last victory coming more than two years ago by split decision against Jake Collier. After beginning his UFC tenure with four straight wins, Buday was buried by the pressure and output of Shamil Gaziev last time out at UFC 296.
Rei Tsuruya vs Carlos Hernandez
Road to UFC flyweight winner Rei Tsuraya makes his promotional debut this weekend, facing off with DWCS alum Carlos Hernandez.
The Japanese newcomer is just 21 years old, but already sports a 9-0 record, having most recently punched his ticket to the UFC with a first-round stoppage win over Jiniushiyue back in February. Hernandez has split his first four appearances inside the Octagon, earning wins over Victor Altamirano and Denys Bondar, while landing on the wrong side of things in matchups with Allan Nascimento and Tatsuro Taira.
Ricky Simon vs Vinicius Oliveira
UFC 303 gets underway in the bantamweight division, as veteran Ricky Simon takes on Brazilian finisher Vinicius Oliveira.
After putting together five straight wins to earn a place in the rankings and his first main event assignment, Simon heads to T-Mobile Arena looking to halt a two-fight skid following losses to Song Yadong and Mario Bautista. Oliveira made a massive impression in his first trip into the UFC cage earlier this year, landing a gnarly flying knee late in the third round of his bout with Benardo Sopaj to announce his presence as someone to watch in the 135-pound weight class.
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