We’re just a few days away from UFC 301, the promotion’s first return to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in more than one year. Despite the promotion’s best efforts, however, the pay-per-view (PPV) card itself doesn’t exactly deliver in terms of depth or star power (see it here), particularly compared to recent UFC 300 and UFC 299 events.
Now, the card hasn’t happened yet, so it’s a little early to fully dunk on the event. And it’s fair to say Dana White and Co. emptied its clip, more or less, stacking its historic card last month. And, in all likelihood, UFC 301’s fights themselves will turn out to be really fun and produce some good finishes.
Because that’s what happens when the first three fights of the PPV main card feature a 5-1 Brazilian favorite taking on a foreign underdog beneath the howls of a hostile crowd. There’s also some sneaky good fights on the “Prelims” undercard — I can nearly guarantee Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai, Jack Shore vs. Joanderson Brito and Joaquim Silva vs. Drakkar Klose will be badass bouts worthy of your attention.
While certainly worth-watching, it’s hard to justify the price tag of UFC 301 in its current state. The three main card mismatches can likely be summed up adequately by a Twitter clip afterward. Do you really need to pay to see Paul Craig pull guard again while getting picked apart? Is Anthony Smith’s patented turtle defense really worth your hundred bucks?
It’s hard not to think about what could have been.
For one, the main event is disappointing, even for a Flyweight supporter like myself. Alexandre Pantoja is an excellent champion, but apparently too excellent, given that he’s already beaten most of the Flyweight Top 10. The division is in its usual state of bizarre, as top contenders repeatedly fight each other to mixed results or are forced to pull out of fights constantly.
Pantoja has known he would fight at UFC 301 for months, and still no suitable foil presented himself. Erceg is a quality prospect and has shown very good skills in his TWO Octagon bouts, but at this point, he’s best-known for resembling Michael Scott.
One half of a pay-per-view (PPV) headliner he does not make.
The co-main, similarly, suffered from uncontrollable circumstances. Bringing Jose Aldo — “The King of Rio” — back to his home turf is a great move, sure to generate electricity in the crowd. His opponent was intended to be Dominick Cruz, a perfect World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) throwback fight between two kings of their era and plenty worthy co-main event.
Cruz injuries cannot be considered unexpected at this stage of the game, but it’s still unfortunate that match up couldn’t come to fruition as planned (details here). Instead, the very talented Jonathan Martinez fills in. It’s still one of the best bouts of the night, but some of the sizzle is certainly gone.
Light Heavyweight kingpin, Alex Pereira, knew the UFC 301 card needed assistance, and he was more than willing to rebound from UFC 300 and fight again just three weeks later. That’s a kickboxing mentality, folks! For a brief moment, it seemed like his flawless knockout of Jamahal Hill — a fight in which Pereira took roughly zero punches (watch highlights) — might actually make that miracle happen.
Pereira’s torque on his left hook is apparently so powerful that it makes his toes shatter, so he’s mildly injured. Even without that problem, he would be in the Pantoja situation of needing a worthy dance partner. Jiri Prochazka might have been convinced to take a short-notice rematch, but both Heavyweight champions were unavailable, while Magomed Ankalaev doesn’t want to fight until October.
On the whole, UFC 301 will still be a lot of fun to watch, but things could have been so much better with just a bit of luck.
“Poatan” is still trying to help, too.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 301 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 301: “Pantoja vs. Erceg” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.