Tag: UFC 301

Anthony Smith draws undefeated Vitor Petrino at UFC 301 in Rio

Anthony Smith will take on another rising UFC light heavyweight contender.

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] will take on another rising light heavyweight contender.

Smith meets [autotag]Vitor Petrino[/autotag] at UFC 301 on May 4 from Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie following an initial report from Laerte Viana.

Smith (37-19 MMA, 12-9 UFC) will look to rebound from his stoppage loss to Khalil Rountree this past December at UFC Fight Night 233. Prior to that, the former title challenger defeated Ryan Spann for a second time at UFC Fight Night 225.

Brazil’s Petrino (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is fresh off a unanimous decision win over Tyson Pedro earlier this month. The Dana White Contender Series alum will make a two-month turnaround after an active 2023.

With the addition, the UFC 301 fight card includes:

  • Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig
  • Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Kevin Borjas vs. Alessandro Costa
  • Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite
  • Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai
  • Vitor Petrino vs. Anthony Smith

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Steve Erceg ready for Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 if he gets the call

Steve Erceg would jump at the opportunity if he was offered a title shot against Alexandre Pantoja.

[autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] would jump at the opportunity if he was offered a title shot against [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag].

Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) scored his first octagon finish when he knocked out Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 238. He called out Brandon Moreno after the win.

Flyweight champion Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) is looking to defend his title at UFC 301 May 4 in Rio. With Pantoja having already beaten most of the top contenders, Erceg is ready to make a quick turnaround if he’s approached.

“It is super fast, but I told you I wanted to get to the title as fast as I can,” Erceg told MMA Junkie. “I assume they’re probably going to give it to (Muhammad) Mokaev, even off of his poor performance just because that’s what Pantoja asked for. But if they call me, I’m going to step up. I’m here to show that I’m the best fighter in the world, so two days, eight days, five weeks, whichever it is, I’ll show up and put on a show.”

Pantoja mentioned Erceg as a possibility. Mokaev defeated former title challenger Alex Perez, also at UFC Fight Night 238, and the champion has narrowed it down to those two fighters. He dismissed Brandon Royval at an option because he was his most recent title defense.

“Now I’m 9-0 with all the top 10, but you have good new names coming to the division,” Pantoja told Sportsnet. “You have Mokaev making a great fight with Alex Perez. You have Manel Kape, but I already beat him. You have (Erceg), the guy from Australia – he’s really good.

“He fought Matt Schnell. He looks like Steve Carell. He’s a good fighter. I knocked out Matt Schnell in the first round. He did it in the second. Maybe it’s a good option for the UFC, too.”

Erceg envisions a potential fight with Pantoja being a tough one, but sees holes he can expose.

“Until I beat Schnell and put him outside the top 10, I think he had nine wins over the current top 10,” Erceg said. “So it’s hard to argue that he’s not the best guy in the division. He’s a really good fighter. Obviously, his bread and butter is beating people with pressure and taking people’s backs, that sort of thing.

“His striking isn’t bad, but it does get sloppy pretty quickly. Again, he pushes so hard that it’s hard for him not to get tired – so I think he’s very exploitable. That’s what makes it fun. It’s going to be a tough fight. It’s going to be a hard fight. It’s going to be fun, for sure.”

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UFC 301 adds Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai

Rising UFC lightweights will collide in Rio de Janeiro.

Rising lightweights [autotag]Elves Brener[/autotag] and [autotag]Myktybek Orolbai[/autotag] are aligned for a showdown in Rio de Janeiro.

The bout has been added to UFC 301 on May 4 at Jeunesse Arena.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Ag. Fight first reported the booking.

Brener (16-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) emerged as one of the breakthrough fighters of 2023 as he racked up seemingly improbable victories over Zubaira Tukhugov, Guram Kutateladze, and Kaynan Kruschewsky. With a knack for the comeback and an ability to defy the odds, Brener looks to extend his winning streak to six.

Kyrgyzstan’s Orolbai (12-1-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made a statement in his promotional debut up a weight class in November when he submitted Uros Medic. Orolbai took the fight on four days’ notice. The win extended his streak to seven.

With the addition, the UFC 301 fight card includes:

  • Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig
  • Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Kevin Borjas vs. Alessandro Costa
  • Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite
  • Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Brandon Royval aims to ‘keep spoiling parties’ against Alexandre Pantoja after UFC Mexico win

The fiesta was spoiled by Brandon Royval at UFC Mexico, and now he’s looking to do the same at UFC 301.

MEXICO CITY – [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] spoiled the fiesta Saturday at Mexico City Arena, and he hopes to continue his tour of disappointing UFC attendees.

With a split decision win over former titleholder Brandon Moreno in the UFC Fight Night 237 main event, Royval (16-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) thinks the logical next choice for a flyweight title challenger is himself. A May 4 rematch vs. titleholder [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is what he wants.

“I’m going to keep spoiling parties,” Royval told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “At UFC 301, I’m going to fight Pantoja, and I’m going to take his belt in his hometown. We’ll keep spoiling parties. After I win that belt, I’ll defend my belt in Denver, Colorado.”

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Some fights fans might be sour to the idea of running back a fight that just took place in December. Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) defeated Royval at UFC 296 on Dec. 16.

However, Royval would ask the naysayers to look at his improvement in the two months since then and what he was able to accomplish Saturday in hostile territory.

“You’ve seen it,” Royval said. “I’ve made adjustments in six weeks or five weeks, whatever it was. It was five weeks because I hurt my hand, and I couldn’t get back into training. I had a five-week training camp for that. In five weeks, I made a bunch of adjustments. I didn’t get held down. Brandon Moreno tried to slow me down, hold me down, slow the pace, keep me down. They ain’t going to hold me down no more, bro.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

Alex Pereira signs new 8-fight contract before UFC 300, says fight was bumped up from UFC 301

Alex Pereira has signed a new eight-fight contract ahead of UFC 300 and explains how he ended up in the main event of the historic card.

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] said his expectation “for a while” was that he would be defending his light heavyweight title against Jamahal Hill at UFC 301 in May.

Then UFC officials called his team, and the bout between Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) was moved up by three weeks and officially booked for the main event of the historic UFC 300 card on April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (pay-per-view, ESPN).

“The original verbal agreement, not signed, was to fight at UFC 301 in Brazil – May event, Jamahal Hill,” Pereira told “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani through an interpreter. “But a few days ago they called, and my manager called us asking to headline UFC 300. I liked the idea. I think it’s perfect timing for me to prepare for it, so I just jumped in.”

Although Pereira would’ve loved to fight at UFC 301, which takes place May 4 at Rio Arena in his native Brazil, he said his gut told him it wasn’t going to play out that way. Pereira felt he would somehow find himself at UFC 300, so he took the development in stride when it actually happened.

The former two-division GLORY kickboxing champion has had a career unlike any other before him in UFC history. UFC 300 will mark just his eighth bout in the promotion, yet he has already won the middleweight belt, fought at Madison Square Garden twice, and became one of nine fighters to win UFC titles in two division when he added the 205-pound belt to his collection.

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Pereira said he wouldn’t be any happier with how the UFC has treated him, and he’s made that commitment back. Pereira said he signed a new eight-fight UFC contract this past Friday, and with his 37th birthday coming up in July, it could be his final long-term combat sports deal.

“Starting this fight, there’s eight more,” Pereira said. “My relationship with the UFC is very good. I’m very grateful how the UFC and my management team get together. They’ve been doing great things together. I think the UFC also appreciates who I am because I’m a composed guy, I’m focused and I deliver.”

For Pereira, the switch in dates from Rio de Janeiro to Las Vegas wasn’t a problem. He’s used to being very active, so there are no concerns about the shortened window on his end.

That can’t quite be said for Hill, who will be returning to action just nine months after suffering a ruptured Achilles that forced him to vacate the UFC title. It seems like an aggressive turnaround, but Hill insists it’s a non-issue.

Pereira hopes his upcoming opponent is being honest, but even if he isn’t, he said Hill should be accountable for his choices.

“I didn’t know it was such a long recovery for that,” Pereira said. “People have been speculating. Even for the card in Brazil. We’ve known for a while now we were fighting in Brazil and it was like, ‘Is he going to be ready?’ But we’ve got a little bit more than a month for the fight. If he feels he’s ready and he’s trained, then let’s do it.”

The matchup between Pereira and Hill has fireworks written all over it. Both men have highlight reels loaded with devastating knockouts, but Pereira said he isn’t being caught up in the expectations. He wants to keep his belt, and will do it by any means necessary.

“I want to win the fight,” Pereira said. “Anything can happen. I’ve got to be a grown man and think like that. Many people think like, ‘Oh, I’m going to (do this or that).’ No. There are two outcomes for this fight: I either win or lose. I want to win.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

UFC 300 headliner Alex Pereira open to quick turnaround for UFC 301 in Rio

Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is still willing to headline UFC 301.

Light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] is still willing to headline UFC 301.

Dana White announced Saturday that Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) will defend his title against Jamahal Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in the UFC 300 main event April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Pereira revealed that the promotion’s initial plans were to have him headline UFC 301 May 4 at Rio Arena, but he’s more than ready to compete a month earlier.

“We were talking with the UFC to make this fight in Brazil,” Pereira said through an interpreter on his YouTube channel. “Then they came up with the idea to bring it a little earlier and make it on UFC 300, which for me is a good thing because I’ve already been training hard. The fight being before what was expected makes it even better for me. I’m in good shape, I’ve been training hard, and I’m excited for the fight.”

If Pereira gets past Hill unscathed, he’d have to turnaround in less than a month to fight at home. His 21-day turnaround would mark the shortest window between title defenses in company history, with former UFC women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey holding the current record at 56 days between UFC 168 in December 2013 and UFC 170 in February 2014.

Having made quick turnarounds several times during his kickboxing career, “Poatan” is willing to try.

“I always spoke that I want to defend the belt hopefully in a very fast pace in a row, two times,” Pereira said. “Now this would be the opportunity, with the cards being so close to each other, for me to be able to defend at UFC 300 and maybe in Rio. That is a very big possibility because if I don’t get hurt, I did this before in kickboxing.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

UFC 301 officially announced for Rio de Janeiro

UFC 301 is official – and it turns out the rumors are true. The promotion heads to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the first time since 2023.

After months of speculation, UFC 301 officially has landed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Saturday, the UFC officially announced the May 4 pay-per-view event at Rio Arena. The event marks the first in Rio since UFC 283 in January 2023.

While no fights accompanied the official date and location confirmation, multiple fights have been reported, including Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig and Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore, among others.

As for what title fights could top the event, neither of the promotion’s Brazilian champions are currently booked. UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja have both expressed interest in competing on the card.

The current UFC 301 lineup includes:

  • Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig
  • Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Kevin Borjas vs. Alessandro Costa
  • Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig booked for event expected to be UFC 301

Two UFC-ranked middleweights, Caio Borralho and Paul Craig, will square off at an event targeted for Brazil.

Middleweights [autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] will collide at an event expected to be UFC 301.

UFC 301 is targeted for May 4 in Rio de Janeiro, though the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous since the UFC has yet to make an official announcement. Ag. Fight was first to report the matchup.

Borralho (15-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has not lost in 15 straight appearances. His UFC wins to date include Gadzhi Omargadzhiev, Armen Petrosyan, Makhmud Muradov, Michal Oleksiejczuk and Abus Magomedov.

Craig (17-7-1 MMA, 9-7-1 UFC) is 1-1 since he dropped to middleweight in mid-2023. He defeated Andre Muniz by TKO in his divisional debut before he was submitted by Brendan Allen in his most recent appearance.

With the addition, the UFC 301 lineup includes:

  • Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Kevin Borjas vs. Alessandro Costa

Alexandre Pantoja targets next UFC title defense in Brazil, coach envisions fourth Brandon Moreno fight

Alexandre Pantoja wants his next UFC flyweight title defense to happen in Brazil this May, but there’s no clear-cut challenger as of now.

TORONTO – [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] is more focused on the location of his next fight than who he will be defending his UFC flyweight title against.

After logging his first defense of the belt with a unanimous decision win over Brandon Royval at UFC 296 in December, Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) is targeting a return to the octagon at what is expected to be UFC 301 on May 4 in Rio de Janeiro, according to his head coach Marcos “Parrumpa” DaMatta of American Top Team.

“He’s back training – he wants to defend his title in Rio in May,” DaMatta told MMA Junkie. “That’s something that we’re really asking the UFC and his managers to make it happen, because it means a lot to him. It’s the first time that he’s going to fight in Rio de Janeiro. He even said that to me, ‘I’ve fought everywhere. I’ve fought in Korea. I’ve fought in the United States, Abu Dhabi, Europe – I’ve never said no to any fight, please just let me defend with my people.'”

The date and location for Pantoja’s next fight all makes sense. What is more unclear, however, is which fighter would be the frontrunner to challenge for the 125-pound strap.

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A potential title eliminator between Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau fell apart earlier this month when Kape missed weight at UFC Fight Night 234 and the bout was canceled. Additionally, Amir Albazi was forced to withdraw from a matchup with Brandon Moreno at UFC Mexico City on Feb. 24, and he was subsequently replaced by Royval.

Given the current landscape, DaMatta thinks Moreno will be the leading candidate if he handles business against Royval. It would a quick turnaround for him to fight in Brazil, but DaMatta sees it as realistic, despite the fact Pantoja has already beaten Moreno on three different occassions in professional and exhibition competition, including a title-winning effort at UFC 290 in July.

“We’re just hoping that we get there in Rio,” DaMatta said. “There’s a lot of tough guys in the division. Why do the fourth Moreno fight? Why do the third Royval fight? Even Kape. We already fought Kape. But I believe Kape has a little bit of problem making weight. He was a bit too big in between fights. Hopefully he gets his things together because he’s a very dangerous opponent, very tough opponent. There’s a lot names. Albazi is still in the picture. Hopefully he gets healthy soon. We’ll see.

“I truly believe if Moreno wins in Mexico City, UFC is going to try to push for the fourth Moreno fight. The only problem that I see is in between Feb. 24 and May 4, is exactly 10 weeks. The first and last week doesn’t count. He’s going to have eight weeks to prepare for a fight. Since he’s already preparing, hopefully he doesn’t get hurt or anything and we can make it happen in Brazil. I think he will say yes because he won the title in Brazil. He doesn’t have any problems going to Brazil and fighting a Brazilian. So let’s see.”