The buzz around the UFC is back as the main event features fan favorite UFC light heavyweight champion and former middleweight champion Alex Pereira making his second title defense against a familiar foe in Jiri Prochazka inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Former champions have gone to share their thoughts on Saturday’s upcoming blockbuster card; click here to see former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski give his thoughts and predictions on the main card of UFC 303 via Alexander Volkanovksi on YouTube.
UFC 303 Main Event: Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka 2
UFC 303’s Main event features familiar faces as UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Periera (10-2-0) faces number one contender Jiri Prochazka (30-4-1) in a highly anticipated rematch. The two fearsome fighters initially fought at UFC 295 in November 2023.
Pereira was able to weather Prochazka’s early blitzing attacks in the first round until finally scoring an impressive second-round TKO over the former champion.
Fight fans can expect an absolute barn-burner in this light heavyweight title rematch; both men come into their fights looking to finish their opponent at all times.
Prochazka is expected to adopt a different approach in this rematch. Instead of relying solely on striking, he should consider incorporating a takedown threat to keep the champion on his toes.
However, I expect the final result to be the same as the first.
I see Pereira landing his typical leg kicks, which debilitate opponents—the same leg kicks that swept Prochazka off his feet in the first fight.
The champion will look to land a good amount of jabs to the challenger’s body, followed by his signature left hook.
I predict that Pereira’s leg kicks will pose a larger threat to Prochazka than last time and that after a decent amount of damage to Prochazka’s legs, he will find a knockout punch that sends Prochazka down onto the octagon canvas.
Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes
The co-main event for UFC 303 features two elite jujitsu practitioners inside the octagon as ranked featherweights No. 3-ranked Brian Ortega (16-3-0, 1NC) and No. 14-ranked Diego Lopes (24-6-0) clash in what is likely to earn a ‘fight of the night’ fifty-thousand dollar bonus.
The general belief coming into this fiery three-round featherweight bout is that Diego Lopes does everything Brian Ortega does but better.
However, I just do not buy that take. I look back to Lopes’ fight with undefeated top-contender Movsar Evloev back at UFC 288, where, yes, Lopes was able to threaten legitimate submissions; however, he was controlled over three rounds en route to an Evloev decision victory.
It’s true that Ortega has faced criticism for his lack of activity in the UFC cage. However, I see this as a period of growth for Ortega. His time away from the spotlight has allowed him to hone his skills and develop new tactics, demonstrating his resilience and determination to succeed.
When it comes to the fight itself, Ortega’s strategy is clear. He’ll start with a cautious first round, assessing the threat posed by Lopes. Then, after the initial burst of energy from Lopes, Ortega will apply pressure, using jabs and low kicks to push his opponent against the cage before executing a well-planned takedown.
From there, I predict that Ortega will find safe spots in controlling Lopes from the top and continuously find these same circumstances over three rounds. Yes, Ortega may threaten a few submissions here and there, but both men will come into this fight knowing what’s at stake in terms of title contention and look to fight as smart and tactically as possible.
Prediction: Ortega via Decision
Ian Machado Garry vs. Michael ‘Venom’ Page
The main card opener might just be the most interesting fight on the entire card as elite welterweights, undefeated and No. 7-ranked Ian Garry (14-0-0) and No. 14-ranked Michael ‘Venom’ Page (20-2-0) cross paths in a three-round bout.
Machado Garry is coming off a closely contested three-round decision victory over Geoff Neal back at UFC 298, his counterpart Page most recently defeated Kevin Holland back at UFC 299.
Both men come into this fight as lanky strikers who have consistently leaned on their physical attributes in length when finding pinpoint blows to their opponents, while simultaneously maintaining a safe distance.
Taking that into account, this matchup becomes even harder to speculate on, as there is a contrast in age and experience in the sport of mixed martial arts between these two.
Page enters this fight at 37, looking to have just his second fight in the UFC. Meanwhile, Machado Garry is an impressive 26 years old making his eighth UFC appearance.
Both fighters bring a unique style to the octagon. Page, with his awkward karate-style stance and hands at the hips, presents a striking contrast to Machado Garry’s tight guard and cage-circling strategy.
That said, I believe Page will be able to stifle Machado Garry’s movement with his footwork and crashing strikes, frustrating the younger fighter en route to a decision victory over three rounds.
Prediction: Page via Decision
Predictions for Other Fights on UFC 303:
Main card:
- (205 lbs.) Anthony Smith (38-19-0) vs. Roman Dolidze (12-3-0): Smith via Decision
- (W 135 lbs.) Mayra Beuno Silva (10-3-1, 1NC) vs. Macy Chiasson (10-3-0): Bueno Silva via Decision
Prelims:
- (185 lbs.) Joe Pyfer (12-3-0) vs. Marc-André Barriault (16-7-0, 1NC): Pyfer via KO/TKO R3
- (145 lbs.) Cub Swanson (29-13-0) vs. Andre Fili (23-11-0, 1NC): Fili via Decision
- (145 lbs.) Charles Jourdain (15-7-1) vs. Jean Silva (12-2-0): Silva via Decision
- (135 lbs.) Payton Talbott (8-0-0) vs. Yanis Ghemmouri (12-2-0): Talbott via KO/TKO R2
Early Prelims:
- (W 115 lbs.) Michelle Waterson-Gomez (18-12-0) vs. Gillian Robertson (13-8-0): Robertson via Decision
- (265 lbs.) Andrei Arlovski (34-23-0, 2NC) vs. Martin Buday (13-2-0): Buday via Decision
- (125 lbs.) Rei Tsururya (9-0-0) vs. Carlos Hernandez (9-3-0): Tsururya via Submission R1
- (135 lbs.) Ricky Simón (20-5-0) vs. Viniscius Oliveira (20-3-0): Simón via Decision
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