UFC 303: Pereira leaves no doubt with head kick TKO win vs. Prochazka
Alex Pereira defended his light heavyweight championship in a rematch with former champion Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 303. Pereira landed a vicious switch-kick to Prochazka’s temple, sending Prochazka to the canvas and defenseless, forcing the referee to call the fight.
Pereira (11-2) has won four fights in a row, including a second-round TKO of Prochazka in November that earned the Brazilian the vacant 205-pound title. Pereira is No. 3 in the ESPN pound-for-pound rankings. Prochazka (30-5-1) has only lost twice in nine years, with both defeats to Pereira.
Here’s everything to know about what went down on the 13-fight card at UFC 303, including the recaps, replays and big moments from the fight week.
How to watch the fight replays
Watch the PPV and all other fights on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here.
There’s also FightCenter, which offers live updates for every UFC card.
UFC 303 fight results
Lopes and Ige deliver in big way at UFC 303
Diego Lopes picked up a meaningful win against a ranked opponent at UFC 303 on Saturday — it just didn’t come against Brian Ortega.
Lopes (25-6) extended his winning streak to four by defeating Dan Ige by unanimous decision in a bout took place at a catchweight of 165 pounds due to incredible circumstances.
Lopes was supposed to fight Ortega at the 145-pound featherweight limit, but that changed to 155 pounds on Friday after Ortega had trouble making weight. Ortega was then scratched from the bout altogether on Saturday, and Ige took his place in what is believed to be the shortest-notice fight in modern UFC history.
Okamoto: Ige earns ‘all respect’ in loss to Lopes at UFC 303
Karate Hottie calls it a career, leaves gloves in Octagon
Michelle Waterson-Gomez, one of the most influential figures in women’s mixed martial arts history, retired at UFC 303 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Waterson-Gomez, 38, announced her retirement following a unanimous-decision loss to Gillian Robertson on the UFC 303 undercard. Waterson-Gomez (18-13) came to prominence more than a decade ago, at a time when women’s MMA was still finding its footing. She won a 105-pound atomweight championship in 2013 and went on to a successful career in the UFC at 115 pounds.
Okamoto: Waterson-Gomez says she’s retiring after UFC 303 loss
‘Poatan’ talks flat tires, Jiri Prochazka and more
Alex Pereira sits down with Brett Okamoto to discuss broken toes, changing tires and his upcoming title defense against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 in Las Vegas.
Hale: Pereira helps stranded motorist change tire
Inside the seven-year free fall of Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor was scheduled to return at UFC 303, but a toe injury is the latest saga for the Irishman. McGregor has chased the professional and monetary highs he reached nearly seven years ago since the night he walked out of the boxing ring against Mayweather. What’s transpired since 2017 is just one UFC win and countless setbacks, including: arrests, injuries, lawsuits and multiple allegations of sexual assault.
McGregor shares injury status, vows to be ready for next fight
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Conor McGregor looking to be 100% before his next fight
Conor McGregor explains his injury and details how he is preparing for his next UFC fight.
Conor McGregor was on hand for the Bellator Dublin event to support Sinead Kavanagh in her fight against Arlene Blencowe. After the Blencowe-Kavanagh match, McGregor spoke in the postfight interview and detailed his injury status along with his plans to return to the Octagon later in the year.
Ranking the fights at UFC 303: With no McGregor-Chandler, who steps up?
Saturday’s reinvigorated main event is a rematch of the fiery fight last November in which Alex Pereira won the belt. It was tightly contested and swung in both directions — mostly toward Jiri Procházka, honestly — before Pereira landed a left hook counterpunch in Round 2 that was the beginning of the end. Speaking of beginnings, though: The most spine-tingling highlight came during prefight introductions, when the fighters stood in their corners staring across the cage at each other, neither man moving a muscle. If Pereira and Procházka can bring that chilling energy again Saturday, we’re in for a good one.
Several storylines will play out at UFC 303. Here are the most intriguing, framed as questions to be answered on fight night.
Expert picks and best bets: Where’s the value at UFC 303 and PFL?
Brett Okamoto spoke to UFC light heavyweight and ESPN analyst Anthony Smith to get his perspective on the UFC main event. ESPN betting experts Ian Parker and Reed Kuhn add their insight and analysis on the UFC main event and other intriguing bets they like on this weekend’s fight cards.
UFC 303 broadcast team treated to ‘best fighter meeting of all time’
In advance of his UFC 303 fight, Ian Machado Garry met this week with the UFC broadcast team — along with a special guest, his young son, who had Daniel Cormier, Jon Anik and the rest of the crew in stitches with his spot-on fighter impersonations. Check out which UFC stars the youngster mimicked — hint: One is headlining on Saturday, and another was supposed to — and see why backstage interviewer Megan Olivi called this “the greatest fighter meeting of all time, absolutely amazing.”
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