UFC returns to Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with UFC 301: Pantoja vs. Erceg. The 15th UFC event in 2024, UFC 301, is headlined by Alexandre Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and Steve Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in a flyweight title encounter.
The poster for UFC 301: Pantoja vs. Erceg
Here is all you need to know ahead of UFC 301, the first of three consecutive cards for the promotion in May.
UFC 301 MONEY PLAYS & ANALYSIS!!!
Main Event: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg
Hometown champion Alexandre Pantoja (27-5) defends his flyweight title against No. 10 ranked contender Steve Erceg (12-1). Pantoja has won five fights in a row, most recently a unanimous decision over Brandon Royval in December in his first defense of the 125-pound title.
Pantoja wants to earn his second successful defense, having defeated Brandon Royval in December at UFC 296 in Las Vegas.
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Erceg's quick rise to stardom is something to monitor, as he has won 12 of his first 13 fights and is unblemished since signing with the UFC in June 2023. Despite him not being the so-called popular choice to earn the next crack at gold, the UFC went with the fresher matchup, which sees Erceg enter into so-called enemy territory.
Regardless of whether Erceg wins or loses, his name will be remembered by MMA fans, given that his career is only just beginning.
Erceg joins a short list of fighters who have earned a title shot very early on in their UFC careers, which includes Brock Lesnar, Alex Pereira and Liz Carmouche, to name a few.
Pantoja came out with a little more aggression than he showed in his last couple fights, almost as if he was trying to take Erceg out of the fight and test his mettle straight away.
All three judges scored the fight in favor of the champion, who extended his winning streak to six with the victory.
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Co-Main Event: Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez
Ascending bantamweight Jonathan Martinez (19-4) welcomes Jose Aldo (31-8) back to the Octagon in the co-main event. Martinez comes in with a six-fight winning streak ready to secure his biggest win yet by spoiling Aldo’s return.
In UFC 301’s co-headliner, a mixed martial arts (MMA) legend returns as “The King of Rio,” Jose Aldo, exits retirement to battle it out with Jonathan Martinez in a super fun 135-pound showdown.
After a brief hiatus and mini-retirement from MMA, Aldo returns to the UFC and will take on Jonathan Martinez (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC). While Aldo is the former UFC featherweight champion, Martinez has quickly risen into the upper echelon at bantamweight, winning six straight fights.
From the outset, the former featherweight champion was locked in and sharp, out-boxing Martinez before taking it up a notch in the third round, where he rocked the surging Factory X man multiple times.
Other Notable Fights
In addition, witness the explosive striking of Anthony Smith in a Light Heavyweight clash with Vitor Petrino, the smothering grappling of Michel Pereira when he tangles with Ihor Potieria, and the unpredictable submission wizardry of Paul Craig when he locks horns with the always-dangerous, Caio Borralho.
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No. 13 ranked middleweight contender Paul Craig (17-7-1) faces off Dana White’s Contender Series signee and No.
Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino: The former title challenger took full advantage of the youngster making a tactical mistake, as Petrino left his head on the outside while slowly attacking a takedown early in the contest. This was a great rebound win for Smith, who had lost three of his previous four fights.
Michel Pereira vs. Ihor Potieria: “Demolidor” dropped Ihor Potieria with a jab, and then returned to his chaotic ways, back-flipping onto his prone opponent before latching onto a guillotine choke when the Ukrainian fighter looked to work back to his feet.
There was some controversy after the finish, as it was clear that Pereira’s knee caught Potieria in the head as he was coming to the ground, which could have resulted in a disqualification or no contest verdict.
UFC 301 Fight Card & Results
The rest of the card isn't top-heavy by any stretch, but there are some intriguing names to watch who arguably have potential to be future title challengers, contenders, or better yet, champions.
Here's a look at the UFC 301 fight card:
| Weight Class | Fighters | Result | Method | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flyweight | Alexandre Pantoja (c) vs. Steve Erceg | Pantoja def. Erceg | Decision (unanimous) | 5 | 5:00 |
| Bantamweight | Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez | Aldo def. Martinez | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Light Heavyweight | Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino | Smith def. Petrino | Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 2:00 |
| Middleweight | Michel Pereira vs. Ihor Potieria | Pereira def. Potieria | Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 0:54 |
| Middleweight | Paul Craig vs. Caio Borralho | Borralho def. Craig | KO (punches) | 2 | 2:18 |
| Featherweight | Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore | Brito def. Shore | TKO (leg injury) | 2 | 3:51 |
| Women's Strawweight | Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Iasmin Lucindo | Lucindo def. Kowalkiewicz | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Lightweight | Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai | Orolbai def. Brener | Decision (majority) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Lightweight | Joaquim Silva vs. Drakkar Klose | Klose def. Silva | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Lightweight | Mauricio Ruffy vs. Jamie Mullarkey | Ruffy def. Mullarkey | KO (punch) | 1 | 4:42 |
| Women's Flyweight | Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite | Barbosa def. Kareckaite | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Lightweight | Ismael Bonfim vs. Vinc Pichel | Bonfim def. Pichel | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Flyweight | Alessandro Costa vs. Kevin Borjas | Costa def. Borjas | TKO (punches) | 2 | 1:28 |
Bonuses: Pereira banked $50K for his quick submission.