UFC 303 Review: Pereira destroys Prochazka via R2 KO

Alex “Poatan” Pereira successfully defended his light heavyweight championship for the second time this year in the main event of UFC 303 on Saturday. He hit Jiri Prochazka with a headbutt and subsequent punches 13 seconds into round 2.

Pereira, who has won four straight fights since moving up to the 205-pound division, won as a -148 favorite. Betting on ‘less than’ 1.5 rounds yielded a +160 payout on FanDuel. Prop bets cashing in on ‘Poatan’ included winning by TKO/KO (+110 at DraftKings), winning in Round 2 (+600 at FanDuel), and winning by distance (+100 at DraftKings).

Pereira, who turns 37 next week, improved to 11-2 overall and 8-1 in the UFC. He has now defeated six current or former champions during his nine-fight tenure with the promotion. The Brazilian has already won belts in two different stints — middleweight and light heavyweight — and is interested in moving up to heavyweight to try to become the UFC’s first-ever three-division champion.

Pereira nearly ended the fight at the end of the opening round, taking down Prochazka with a vicious left hook. However, the horn sounded before Pereira could deliver any more punishment.

But to say that Prochazka was saved by the bell would be inaccurate, as the main kick landed perfectly five seconds into round 2.

The co-main event was an absolute circus. The first matchup was Khalil Rountree vs. Jamahal Hill in a 205-pound showdown, but Rountree was pulled from the card after being suspended for using a performance-enhancing drug.

When Hill went down with an injury, the promotion booked Brian “T-City” Ortega against Diego Lopes in a featherweight scrap. However, UFC doctors forced Ortega to stop cutting weight – when he was down to 151 pounds, five pounds shy of the required 146 – and begin rehydrating at 3:30 a.m. Pacific on Friday morning.

Nevertheless, Lopes immediately agreed to still fight Ortega at 155 pounds. But then Ortega fell ill on fight night and was forced to withdraw from the bout.

We’ve seen fighters take a fight with just 24 hours notice, like Anderson Silva replacing Jon Jones to take on Daniel Cormier at UFC 200, but we’ve never seen someone step in and fight with just three hours notice.

Until now.

Dan ’50K’ Ige begged UFC officials to let him fight Lopes at a 165-pound fighting weight, and his wish was granted.

Ige also fought valiantly, albeit in a losing effort. Lopes won the first two rounds with strong striking and dominant wrestling, but the momentum quickly changed in the third stanza.

Ige entered the final lap knowing he needed a finish and had to let go of his hands. He did so immediately and knocked Lopes’ head back with a powerful straight movement to the right.

After Ige reconnected, Lopes went for a takedown that failed. Ige ended up in top position and began throwing elbows and punches, some of which were blocked, but others penetrated Lopes’ defense.

It wasn’t enough to seriously threaten a finish or secure a 10-8 round, but it certainly earned the admiration of the crowd, Dana White and everyone associated with the UFC.

Lopes won a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) as a -275 (BetMGM) to -320 ‘chalk’, with bettors backing for him to win by decision, yielding a return of +310 delivered at Bet Rivieren. Betting ‘over’ 2.5 rounds got a +124 payout on FanDuel, while the ‘yes’ prop for the fight to go the distance got a +180 payout on FanDuel.

Lopes was very classy during his post-match press conference when asked about Ortega. “I hope he’s healthy,” Lopes said. “I have absolutely no ill will towards him.”

He also gave props to Ige: “Dan Ige, thank you so much, brother,” Lopes said after his win. “All respect to Dan Ige. Not many fighters enter a fight on three hours’ notice. But anyone, anytime, I will fight anyone. It does not matter. I will fight anyone.”

“It doesn’t matter — eight weeks, six weeks, four weeks, four hours, it doesn’t matter,” Ige yelled into the microphone during his Octagon interview with Joe Rogan. “This is what I live for. This is an opportunity to become a legend. To show up four hours in advance of International Fight Week … I couldn’t be happier with how I did it.”

Lopes expressed interest in fighting in the Sphere for Noche UFC, the new name for UFC 306. He said he would be ready for anyone except the names of Ortega and former featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski.

In another 205-pound bout, Roman Dolidze defeated Anthony “Lionheart” Smith via UD (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) as a -145 favorite. The ‘yes’ prop for the fight to go to decision had a return of +110, and bets on Dolidze to win by decision had a payoff of +260 at BetRivers.

In a women’s bantamweight bout, Macy Chiasson defeated Mayra Bueno Silva by second-round TKO (doctor stoppage) in a pick ’em matchup (-110 anyway). Chiasson landed a deep and nasty gash on Bueno Silva’s forehead with a slashing elbow from the top position.

Once the fighters were back on their feet, the referee paused the action so the ringside doctor could examine the cut above Bueno Silva’s eye. When the doctor said the cut was incredibly deep, the referee stopped the bout at 1:58 of round 2.

In the opening of the pay-per-view portion of the card, a highly anticipated welterweight bout proved a bust as Ian Machado Garry implemented a grappling game plan against Michael ‘Venom’ Page, who was making his second appearance in the UFC after winning a UD from Kevin Holland in his Octagon debut at UFC 299.

Garry landed an early takedown and quickly moved into a body triangle. Moments later, the 26-year-old Irishman was locked in a rear-naked choke. Page, the former Bellator star, appeared to be in trouble but somehow managed to break free. He still had to sit out the round with Garry hanging on his back.

Page landed the better strikes and was able to hold the fight for much of the second frame. His confidence grew and it was clear that the third round would decide the fight.

Things went Garry’s way via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) thanks to his wrestling and control in the final round, improving to 15-0 overall and 8-0 in the UFC as a -200 favorite.

Bets on Garry to win via decision had a payout of +130 at DraftKings, while the odds on the ‘yes’ prop for the fight to go the distance had a price of -175. Page fell to 22-3 overall and 1-1 in the UFC.

In the Prelims headliner, Joe Pyfer starred Marc-Andre Barriault via first-round KO (1:25) as a -335 ‘chalk.’ Props on Pyfer to win by KO/TKO yielded a +200 payout at BetRivers, while Pyfer to win within distance was even money (+100) at DraftKings. The prop for Pyfer to win in Round 1 had a +250 return, and bets on ‘under’ 1.5 rounds had a +148 return at BetRivers.

Andre Fili defeated Cub Swanson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) in a featherweight bout that had his fan base as a -225 to -250 favorite. However, according to MMADecisions, 13 of 15 media outlets scored the fight in Swanson’s favor.

Payton Talbott’s steady rise to stardom continued as he destroyed Yanis Ghemmouri with a 19-second KO as a huge -1400 favorite. Bets on ‘less than’ 1.5 rounds had a payout of +140, while props on Talbott to win in round 1 had a return of +250 at Caesars.

Talbott improved to 9-0 overall and 3-0 in the UFC. The KO was the seventh of his career and his eighth overall finish.

Because White agreed to hand out two Fight of the Night bonuses at last Thursday’s press conference, he instead handed out four Performance of the Night bonuses. He explained that he didn’t feel like there was a second fight that deserved the name Fight of the Night.

Swanson and Fili won an additional $50,000 for FOTN awards, while the POTN bonuses went to Pereira, Chiasson, Pyfer and Talbott.