Brendan Miller
The first pay-per-view event after the historic UFC 300 takes place this Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, with Brazilian champion Alexandre Pantoja returning home to defend his flyweight title.
Pantoja faces Australian Steve Erceg in the main fight of UFC 301 at Farmasi Arena. In the co-main event, Hall of Famer and former featherweight king José Aldo returns from retirement to face Jonathan Martinez.
Let’s take a closer look at the biggest stories heading into this weekend.
1. The inevitable UFC 300 hangover is upon us
After such an explosive series of big fights, which began at UFC 298 in February and continued through the much-celebrated box office success of UFC 300 on April 13, it’s understandable that fans would expect a bit of matchmaking disappointment afterwards. UFC 301, and a trio of adjacent Fight Night cards, certainly meet that description. While the main and co-main events are excellent fights worth watching, the depth of the overall card feels more like a UFC on Fox quarterly card of old and seems to cater more to the local market, with no shortage of Brazilian talent across the board. world. card. This may mean a lack of fanfare and excitement similar to recent events, but it doesn’t mean that disappointment should be expected from an action standpoint inside the Octagon, as Brazilian crowds have long helped to stir up the excitement in the cage around them. forward due to his voracious appetite for the sport. There probably won’t be any $300,000 bonuses left over from UFC 300, but Saturday’s event should still satisfy hardcore fans before UFC 302 on June 1, which will feature a star-studded lightweight title fight (Islam Makhachev-Dustin Poirier) at the top of the marquee.
2. Alexandre Pantoja begins to bring stability to flyweight
For a division that had just two legendary champions (Demetrious Johnson, Henry Cejudo) in its first eight years of existence, the last four years at the top of the 125-pound division have been a revolving door of title swaps between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno. Enter the unlikely Pantoja who, at 34, has emerged at the front of the pack in the flyweight division thanks to a five-fight winning streak, which includes wins over the who’s who of the division: Manel Kape, Brandon Royval (twice), Alex Perez and a third victory over Moreno, which gave Pantoja the title last July. The submission threat continues to be Pantoja’s calling card, but it has been the willingness to bite the mouthpiece and endure heavy damage that has seen the champion undergo some of his toughest tests. Pantoja can also tie Johnson and Figueiredo as the only champions to defend the flyweight title twice.
3. Out of nowhere: here comes Steve Erceg
When 28-year-old Erceg made his professional debut in 2016, Pantoja was already a nine-year veteran with 18 fights. But even though he’s only been a UFC fighter for 11 months, the Perth, Western Australia native now finds himself on the doorstep of the UFC title after a trio of eye-opening victories. Erceg certainly benefits from the timing and the fact that he represents new blood in a title picture that has been so dominated by the same two names lately. This does not mean, however, that he is here by accident. Erceg (12-1) entered the UFC looking like a finished product. Half of his professional victories were via submission, but it was the technical aspects of his striking that stood out most inside the octagon. Erceg’s knockout of Matt Schnell in March was the perfect exclamation point at just the right moment to put him in position to fight for the belt.
4. The ‘King of Rio’ isn’t over yet
Two years ago, after a loss to Merab Dvalishvili broke a three-fight winning streak, Aldo left the sport on his own terms after one of the most decorated 18-year runs in the sport’s history. But after venturing into boxing and accepting induction into the UFC Hall of Fame, Aldo returns at age 37 not just to lend his much-needed star power to a PPV event that desperately lacks it. Throughout the run-up to Saturday’s comeback against rising contender Jonathan Martinez, Aldo talked about his desire to get back in line and fight for the bantamweight title. Aldo, a slight underdog in the betting, will certainly face stiff competition from Martinez, who is riding a six-fight winning streak that includes leg kick TKO victories over Cub Swanson and Adrian Yanez. But the most interesting outcome may come contractually, as Aldo, who is entering the final fight of his UFC contract, has refused to re-sign with the promotion before this weekend. This means that Aldo is hoping his performance against Martinez can increase his negotiating leverage for a new deal or that he has plans to compete in MMA elsewhere after his current contract is completed.
5. Is it time to respect the name of Michel Pereira?
Initially known for his physical theatrics, both inside and outside the cage, upon arriving in the UFC in 2019, Pereira quietly recorded a seven-fight win streak across two different divisions. Still, Pereira remains unranked at both welterweight and middleweight as he prepares for Saturday’s 185-pound test against Ihor Potieria, who has lost three of his last four. When the 30-year-old Pereira lessens his tendency to burn off excess energy inside the cage by taking so many offensive chances, it allows the strength of his wrestling game to shine. Pereira has put two fighters to sleep during his current streak, including Michal Oleksiejczuk in March. Could a victory at UFC 301 finally be the fight that propels Pereira into true title contention? Wait and see.
