Sooo ... About Last Night

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Last night (Sat., June 29, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned home to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC 303. I do not have the heart to explain why Conor McGregor wasn’t fighting for the millionth time (click here if you somehow do not know the story). Regardless of all the hits it took along the way, the UFC 303 event that did go down was worth the time, particularly the stellar main event between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.

Let’s take a look back over at UFC 303’s best performances and techniques:

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Poatan Puts On A Masterclass

After the first Pereira vs. Prochazka fight, it felt like there were still questions about the match up. The stoppage was a touch earlier, and Prochazka found good success before getting knocked down. There was a reason to book them a second time and intrigue surrounding the potential rivalry.

No longer.

From the first bell, Pereira was pretty much untouchable. He seemed to vividly recall his previous experience with Prochazka, and none of the former champion’s feints or tricky setups led to any real success. Instead, it was Pereira who adapted successfully, adding an ultra stiff body jab into his attack alongside the usual left hook and low kicks. It halted Prochazka’s blitzes and left him even more stranded at range.

Consequently, “BJP” couldn’t get anything going at all. It’s not unusual to see Prochazka lose a first round, but it’s shocking to see him rendered so offensively impotent. Pereira didn’t take long to capitalize either, stunning Prochazka with a left hook in the closing seconds of the first round that probably would have stopped the fight with just a little bit of time on the clock.

Instead, a snappy left high kick as soon as the second started sealed the deal. Referee Herb Dean gave Prochazka every chance to recover, but he was more than gone from the high kick, and the follow up punches did not wake him back up. There will be no controversy about the stoppage this time around.

A perfect performance from Pereira. No notes. Spectacular!

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Lopes And Ige Go To War

For a bout announced just a couple hours prior to the fighters entering the cage, Diego Lopes vs. Dan Ige was a great fight!

Lopes’ last three fights have ended too quick to learn much about the Brazilian rising star, but fortunately, Ige’s iron chin allowed us to see more of Lopes’ game! In the first round, he really proved himself a clinch mauler. Every time Ige tried to get close, he wound up too close, forced on the defensive by a wild flurry of hooks and knees. Between those bursts, Lopes went to work ripping up the calf.

Ige did eventually get to pay him back a bit, however. Down two rounds with five minutes remaining, Ige was finally able to gain the pocket on a tiring Lopes. He drilled Lopes with a bunch of stiff punches, drawing reactions out of the Brazilian then cracking him with straighter shots down the middle. It wasn’t enough to earn the victory, but Ige’s strong third round made for great viewing and a feel good moment for both men.

Lopes and Ige want to fight at the Sphere (not against each other), and UFC oughta pay them back make it happen.

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Silva Sliced And Diced

Macy Chiasson vs. Mayra Bueno Silva didn’t offer too many surprises.

Early on, Silva was the far more effective offensive fighter. Her advantages in speed and power were significant, and they allowed her to dominate the early exchanges. Chiasson moved a lot and put out some volume, but Silva’s connections rang loudly throughout the arena.

The tide began to shift with about a minute remaining in the first. Similar to her title fight versus Pennington, Silva began to fatigue. Chiasson started to turn it up with combinations, then she opened the second with a nice takedown. Soon afterward, she dropped a massive elbow that split open Silva. Moments later, the referee was waving off the fight due to a cut stoppage.

On one hand, Chiasson showed some grit and fought well on the whole. She’s growing more consistent and more elite as a result. Silva, meanwhile, still has a ton of physical gifts that are hampered by her pace. She’ll surely complain about the cut stoppage, but it really felt like the momentum had already shifted against her regardless. Maybe she turns it back around, but it’s disappointing to see the same issue pop up again.

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Pyfer Bounces Back

I wasn’t picking him outright, but I thought Marc-Andre Barriault had the potential to be a difficult fight for Joe Pyfer. The Canadian veteran is historically rather durable, and his best asset is his conditioning. Like Jack Hermansson before him, maybe if “Power Bar” survives the opening frame, he could wear Pyfer down and make it ugly?

We’ll never find out.

Pyfer, if nothing else, is an exceptional physical talent. Massive for Middleweight, his fast hands, quick reactions, and crushing power are an overwhelming problem for most of the division. Against Barriault, it took just a couple minutes to herd his foe into the fence and unleash a tight, powerful combination to put him down.

Has Pyfer fixed the flaws that Hermansson demonstrated? Who knows. It didn’t matter last night, and it won’t matter against most at 185-pounds.

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Talbott Lives Up To The Hype

Payton Talbott entered his bout versus Yanis Ghemmouri as an unbelievably wide favorite. We’re talking peak Ronda Rousey numbers, yet Talbott made those odds seem utterly justified with an effortless 19-second knockout.

There’s nothing to analyze here. Talbott entered the cage incredibly relaxed, and the prospect has great eyes. He saw everything Ghemmouri did, from his offensive to defensive movements. Then, he sent a picture-perfect 1-2 down the middle, using a bit of a pause and hand-fight to line up the cross perfectly.

It crashed into the chin and put Ghemmouri down for good. The Adrian Yanez callout after the quick KO? That’s a perfect cherry on top.

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Additional Thoughts

• Jean Silva defeats Charles Jourdain via second-round knockout: Silva loses some points for missing weight, but otherwise, this was a hugely impressive performance. Jourdain has a rock solid chin and Silva still hurt him badly on multiple occasions without loading up on his shots. “Lord Assassin” clearly has some brutal power, and his patient application could add up to something really special. If he can figure out his weight — which really shouldn’t be an issue for a 5’7” prospect at 145 pounds! — then Silva is absolutely an interesting up-and-comer to watch moving forward.

For complete UFC 303 results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.