Tag: UFC 301

Alex Pereira vows to headline UFC 301 in May after quick win at UFC 300: ‘That’s a very big possibility’

Alex Pereira vows to headline UFC 301 in Brazil after quick win at UFC 300 it's very possibleConfirmed as the official headliner for UFC 300 in April, undisputed light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira has vowed to…

Alex Pereira vows to headline UFC 301 in Brazil after quick win at UFC 300 it's very possible

Confirmed as the official headliner for UFC 300 in April, undisputed light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira has vowed to potentially make a quickfire turnaround and headline UFC 301 the following month in his native Brazil – predicting a timely stoppage of opponent, Jamahal Hill.

Pereira, the current undisputed light heavyweight champion and former undisputed middleweight gold holder, is slated to make his comeback at UFC 300 in April in Las Vegas, taking on former champion, Hill – with the duo set to headline the monstrous pay-per-view card at the T-Mobile Arena.

Sidelining since November of last year, Sao Paulo native, Pereira most recently landed the vacant light heavyweight crown with a stunning second round knockout win over former champion, Jiri Prochazka at Madison Square Garden. 

Alex Pereira weighs up UFC 301 return after UFC 300

And reacting to the news of his headliner against Hill at UFC 300, light heavyweight kingpin, Pereira claimed he could make a hasty turnaround and headline UFC 301 just a month later in his native Brazil.

“As you guys saw, the UFC announced my fight for UFC 300,” Alex Pereira said on his YouTube channel. “We were in talks with the UFC to make this fight happen in Brazil, but then they came up with the idea to bring it a little earlier and make it for the UFC 300. Which for me, is pretty good because I’ve already been training hard.”

“I always said that I want to defend the belt in a very fast pace, in a row, two times,” Alex Pereira explained. “Now, this would be the opportunity, with these cards being so close to each other, for me to be able to defend at UFC 300 and maybe in Rio [de Janeiro at UFC 301]. That is a very big possibility, because if I don’t get hurt, I did this before in kickboxing. So, if everything goes fine, I’ll try to defend the belt again very fast.” 

Do you think Alex Pereira can beat Jamahal Hill quickly at UFC 300?

Exclusive – Renato Moicano calls for a fight with Beneil Dariush at UFC 301 in Brazil: ‘It’s going to be amazing’

Renato MoicanoRising lightweight contender Renato Moicano knows the where, the when, and the who when it comes to his next…

Renato Moicano

Rising lightweight contender Renato Moicano knows the where, the when, and the who when it comes to his next opponent. He’s just waiting for the UFC to give it their seal of approval.

Money’ returned to the Octagon on Saturday night (Feb. 3) for a co-main event clash with division standout Drew Dober. The two fighters engaged in an entertaining and bloody brawl for three rounds, but in the end, it was Moicano’s grappling that scored him a unanimous decision victory — his 10th under the UFC banner.

The win has Moicano holding tight in the No. 13 spot on the rankings and hoping that his next fight will offer him an opportunity to break into the top ten.

Speaking with Mike Owens in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview, Renato Moicano revealed that No. 7 ranked Beneil Dariush is on his radar and he already has the perfect location for their proposed scrap.

“I think that Beneil Dariush is a fight that makes sense,” Moicano said. “The UFC, I think they always try to do matchups that make sense, and me versus Dariush is the fight to make. Especially in Brazil for UFC 301. I think it’s going to be amazing. I want to fight in Brazil.”

Riding the momentum of eight wins in a row and on the cusp of his first UFC title opportunity, Darish suffered a massive setback when he fell to former lightweight world champion Charles Oliveira in the opening round of their UFC 289 confrontation.

Since then, ‘Benny’ added another loss to his resume via a 64-second knockout at the hands of Arman Tsarukyan in December. With back-to-back defeats, Dariush now likely finds himself in a position where he’ll have to fight down in the rankings to re-establish himself as a viable contender for the 155-pound crown.

“I think he’s not in a position where he can choose his opponents,” Moicano continued. “He’s coming off two losses. He’s not that young anymore and people are trying to fight him all over. I don’t know what the UFC is going to do, but I don’t think Beneil Dariush has that many choices. But let’s see what the UFC thinks because, at the end of the day, they choose.”

Watch the full exclusive interview with Renato Moicano below:

Renato Moicano calls for fight with Beneil Dariush at UFC 301 after win over Drew Dober: ‘See you in Brazil’

Renato Moicano calls for a fight with Beneil Dariush at UFC 301 see you in BrazilOff the back of his decision win over knockout artist, Drew Dober at UFC Vegas 85 overnight, Brazilian fan-favorite…

Renato Moicano calls for a fight with Beneil Dariush at UFC 301 see you in Brazil

Off the back of his decision win over knockout artist, Drew Dober at UFC Vegas 85 overnight, Brazilian fan-favorite lightweight Renato Moicano has already called his shot for a return – in the form of a UFC 301 clash with perennial contender, Beniel Dariush in a Brazil homecoming in July.

Moicano, who entered last night’s UFC Vegas 85 co-main event fight with Dober as the number thirteenth ranked lightweight contender, turned in his second straight win in the form of a decision win over the former – following a rear-naked choke submission win against Brad Riddell at UFC 281 most recently.

And vowing to get his wife pregnant in celebration following last night’s win over Dober, Brazilian contender, Moicano revealed his 62-year-old father welcomed the birth of a child over the weekend, before announcing plans to join a SWAT force after retiring from mixed martial arts. 

Renato Moicano calls for Beneil Dariush after UFC Vegas 85

Calling for his return to the Octagon following his hard-fought win over Dober last night, Moicano claimed he wanted to fight Iranian contender, Dariush in his return – eyeing a UFC 301 clash in his native Brazil.

“Beneil Dariush see you in Brazil…” Renato Moicano posted on his official X account. “If you support Merica… retweet this sh*t and tag @ufc modaf*kers.” 

Sidelined since he headlined UFC Fight Night Austin back in December, Dariush suffered his second consecutive stoppage loss, in the form of a first round knockout defeat to surging contender, Arman Tsarukyan in ‘The Lone Star State’. 

Over the course of his Octagon tenure, Moicano has landed wins over the likes of Jeremy Stephens, Calvin Kattar, Cub Swanson, Jai Herbert, and Alexander Hernandez to name a few. 

Who wins in a potential UFC 301 showdown: Renato Moicano or Beneil Dariush?

Flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja to defend title on May 4 at UFC 301 in Rio — But against who?

Alexandre PantojaAlexandre Pantoja is gearing up to defend his flyweight title later this year when the UFC returns to Rio…

Alexandre Pantoja

Alexandre Pantoja is gearing up to defend his flyweight title later this year when the UFC returns to Rio de Janeiro. Against whom is of no consequence.

After besting Brandon Moreno for the 125-pound crown in July, ‘The Cannibal’ scored his first successful defense at UFC 296 last month with a decisive decision victory over Brandon Royval. Pantoja is now back in the gym preparing for his next title tilt which he expects to go down on May 4 when the UFC heads back to Brazil for what is expected to be UFC 301.

That comes according to Pantoja’s head coach, Marcos “Parrumpa” DaMatta of American Top Team, who recently told MMA Junkie that ‘The Cannibal’ is determined to defend the flyweight championship in his home country.

“He’s back training – he wants to defend his title in Rio in May,” DaMatta said. “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.’”

There is no Clear-Cut Contender for Pantoja

Though Pantoja is more concerned with the location of his next title fight than the man challenging him, you can’t have one without the other. And when it comes to who is next in the flyweight division, there is no clear answer. A bout scheduled between Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau earlier this month could have served as a potential title eliminator, but Kape failed to make weight resulting in the bout being scrapped.

No. 2 ranked contender Amir Albazi makes a lot of sense, but ‘The Prince’ was forced to withdraw from a fight with Brandon Moreno at UFC Mexico City on February 24 due to a neck injury. Albaziz was ultimately replaced by Brandon Royval.

If Brandon Moreno comes out on top against Royval, DaMatta believes we could see a fourth clash between him and Pantoja, though that would only give ‘The Assassin Baby’ two and a half months to prepare for a title fight overseas.

“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.”

Per an interview with Flamengo, ‘The Cannibal’ confirmed that he will defend his title on May 4 in Rio. We know the when. Now we just need the who.

Charles Oliveira given Islam Makhachev title fight rematch lifeline: ‘UFC 301 in May is a possibility’

Charles Oliveira given UFC 301 title fight rematch with Islam Makhachev lifeline in MayFormer undisputed lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira will prioritize a championship rematch with rival, Islam Makhachev before Ramadan which begins…

Charles Oliveira given UFC 301 title fight rematch with Islam Makhachev lifeline in May

Former undisputed lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira will prioritize a championship rematch with rival, Islam Makhachev before Ramadan which begins in March and runs until April, however, if the Brazilian is unable to secure a re-run before then, he would still welcome a comeback at UFC 301 – currently targeted for a date in May.

Oliviera, the current number one ranked lightweight contender, most recently featured in the co-main event of UFC 289 back in June in Canada, landing a spectacular opening round ground strikes TKO win over recent UFC Austin main event star, Beneil Dariush.

The victory propelled the Sao Paulo native back to the winner’s enclosure, following a disappointing second round arm-triangle submission loss to the above-mentioned, Makhachev at UFC 280 back in October of last year in the duo’s vacant title affair.

And booked to fight Makhachev in the main event of UFC 294 two months ago in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Oliveira was forced from the title fight rematch against he suffered a nasty laceration above his right eye, forcing his withdrawal from the championship clash.

Charles Oliveira open to UFC 301 title rematch with Islam Makhachev

Linked with a title fight rematch rescheduling against Makhachev prior to the beginning of Ramadan in March of next year, Charles Oliveira’s head coach, Diego Lima claimed a potential UFC 301 landing pad could be possible for the bout.

“My plan was to start talks with the UFC, but (Ian Machado) Garry just arrived, so possible [on Thursday] we will have a meeting to decide,” Lima told Sherdog. “Charles (Oliveira) wants that rematch with (Islam) Makhachev in March before Ramadan, so that will be our main focus. But if the UFC wants us to wait for Ramadan, we will do it. We are not in a hurry. The most important thing for us is to have Charles face Islam next.”

“It’s gonna be a chess match,” Lima explained. “Fighting in March would be our priority, but for sure one of Charles’ dreams is to fight for the belt in front of his home fans. The UFC already announced a title fight for UFC 299… And it will be Ramadan in April, so UFC 301 in May can be a possibility.” 

And off the back of the last weekend’s UFC Austin card in Texas, event headliner, Arman Tsarukyan, who turned in a blistering opening minute knockout win over Dariush, called for a title-eliminator bout against Charles Oliveira in his next appearance. 

Would you like to see Islam Makahchev x Charles Oliveira 2 headline UFC 301 next year?

Steve Erceg On Potential Alexandre Pantoja Rematch: ‘I Don’t Know What I’m Going To Do If Some Other Guy Can Beat Him…’

The learning curve once a fighter joins the UFC roster roster can often be a steep one. Many fighters take some time to find their feet and work their way toward chasing a spot inside the rankings, and dreams of fighting for a title often have to be put on hold while they settle into […]

Continue Reading Steve Erceg On Potential Alexandre Pantoja Rematch: ‘I Don’t Know What I’m Going To Do If Some Other Guy Can Beat Him…’ at MMA News.

The learning curve once a fighter joins the UFC roster roster can often be a steep one. Many fighters take some time to find their feet and work their way toward chasing a spot inside the rankings, and dreams of fighting for a title often have to be put on hold while they settle into the big leagues and slowly carve out a name for themselves.

Not so for Steve Erceg.

The Australian flyweight, who is set to face Kai Kara-France at UFC 305 later this summer, only made his debut inside the Octagon in June 2023 when he beat David Dvo?ák by unanimous decision in Canada at UFC 289. He followed that up with another win at UFC 295 against Alessandro Costa, before picking up a highlight reel knockout of Matt Schnell in March of this year.

In a surprising turn of events, the 28-year-old was drafted in to fight Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title in the main event of UFC 301 in Rio De Janeiro just two months later. While the fight didn’t go his way, “AstroBoy” believes the experience will stand him in good stead going forward.

“I feel like more people know who I am now,” Erceg said during an interview with Submission Radio this week. “That’s obviously good for getting big fights and opportunities, so that’s great, and I found out that I can hang at that level.

“He’s beat a lot of contenders, basically everybody in the division, so the fact that I was able to hang there for five rounds, and I felt that I was the one coming over the top at the end…that was awesome. It just obviously sucks that I have to look at his record now with my name associated with it, but whatever.”

Erceg Aiming For Rematch With Pantoja Post-UFC 305

Erceg was also asked whether he thinks a rematch could be on the cards, and if he believes Pantoja will still be the one holding the belt by the time he’s able to work his way back into title contention.

“I really hope he’s still the champion because I don’t know what I’m gonna do if some other guy can beat him and I f**kin’ couldn’t. … I don’t like to swear, but…yeah, so I’d prefer if it was him at the top still. We’ll sort it out.”

Continue Reading Steve Erceg On Potential Alexandre Pantoja Rematch: ‘I Don’t Know What I’m Going To Do If Some Other Guy Can Beat Him…’ at MMA News.