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UFC 301 Preview
May 2, 2024
The UFC returns to PPV this Saturday, May 4 for UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With UFC 300 being an amazing night and everyone looking forward to the PPVs post-301, Saturday’s show is not getting a ton of buzz. However, the crowd in Brazil is always hot and will be ready to go wild for many of the Brazilian fighters on this card. Let’s take a look at what is set for Saturday…
Main Card
Alexandre Pantoja (champion) vs. Steve Erceg for the Flyweight Championship
Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez
Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino
Ihor Potieria vs. Michel Pereira
Paul Craig vs. Caio Borralho
Preliminary Card
Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore
Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Iasmin Lucindo
Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai
Jean Silva vs. William Gomis
Joaquim Silva vs. Drakkar Klose
Jamie Mullarkey vs. Mauricio Ruffy
Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite
Ismael Bonfim vs. Vinc Pichel
Alessandro Costa vs. Kevin Borjas
The Prelims
Say what you will about this card, but I think it has the potential to be a lot of fun. The crowd will be rocking and the Prelims have a ton of fun names that have the potential to put on a show to start the night off right.
Ismael Bonfim vs. Vinc Pichel is a heck of a fight that will be featured early in the night. Bonfim was on a tear before losing to Benoit Saint-Denis. He’ll be looking to make a statement against Pichel, who loves to bring his opponents into deep waters.
Jamie Mullarkey always puts on a fun show. He’s been a bit up and down lately in the UFC, so he’ll be looking to get a big win here to get back on track.
Joaquim Silva vs. Drakkar Klose…I am very excited for this fight! Both men go after it and this is a Prelim to watch, for sure.
Elves Brener tends to just fight forward and is a ton of fun to watch.
Karolina Kowalkiewicz has figured things out, winning her last four after losing five in a row. The #13 Women’s Strawweight will be defending her ranking against Lucindo, who is 16 years younger.
Jack Shore vs. Joanderson Brito gets the featured Prelim spot - deservedly so! This is a fun Featherweight bout and a must watch with two big time prospects.
Paul Craig vs. Caio Borralho
Aside from a no contest, Caio Borralho has rattled off 14 wins in a row and hasn’t lost since 2015. He faces off against the always dangerous Paul Craig, who is 1-1 since moving to Middleweight. Both of these men are experts on the ground, so it’ll be interesting to see if someone tries to keep it standing or if both men are confident enough to test their submission games. The winner here will be in line to take on a Top 10 fighter in the division, so a lot is at stake.
Ihor Potieria vs. Michel Pereira
Potieria fills in to take on a renewed Michel Pereira. Since moving back to Middleweight, Pereira has been dominant and scary in his victories. Potieria does not have a favorable record in his recent fights, so he’ll be looking to get an impressive stop here to get more opportunities at top tier fighters.
Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino
Anthony Smith serves as gatekeeper of the Light Heavyweight Division here against the undefeated Vitor Petrino. Smith is always game to fight, but has been getting further and further removed from contendership each fight out. Petrino is looking to add Smith’s name to his resume to try and get closer to or crack the Top 10 and continue his surge up the rankings. Smith’s experience may pose issues, but it’ll be tough to stop the Petrino train.
Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez
The legend returns! The Hall of Famer, Jose Aldo, is coming out of retirement to fight for the first time in two years to take on the surging Jonathan Martinez. Aldo’s legend speaks for itself - the former Featherweight Champion won the title in WEC and took it to the UFC, holding it for over six years. Jonathan Martinez is a tough first fight back. The #12 Bantamweight is coming in with a six fight win streak and is looking to add a major name to his list in Aldo. This is a tricky fight for Martinez, though. What does it truly prove? If he wins, people can say that he beat someone who shouldn’t have come out of retirement. If he loses, it’ll hurt his rankings climb and people can say that he lost to someone who was retired not too long ago. Personally, I think a win over Aldo is still impressive. We shall see if it can happen, though. This one will be interesting for many reasons.
Alexandre Pantoja (champion) vs. Steve Erceg for the Flyweight Championship
OK…this isn’t the sexiest PPV main event when it comes to name value. I’ll give you that. However, if you’ve been paying attention to these two fighters over the last year, this is going to be a banger. Alexandre Pantoja has been on fire since 2021 and got the emotional title win over Brandon Moreno in July of last year. How can you not root for the guy after his post-fight interview on the night he won the championship? His story about proving his worth to a father who didn’t care and having to drive for Uber to make ends meet shows just how important it is to never give up. In a wide open division, though, Steve Erceg, who is ranked #10, steps up to the plate to take a shot at the title. Erceg is such a fun fighter and has been a pleasure to watch in the UFC over the last year (he debuted in June 2023). Erceg’s unlikely title shot makes for a great story. This fight is a lot more than two great stories, though - it’s about two top tier fighters who have a lot to prove. The only problem with this fight is that someone has to lose. However, I expect a hell of a fight and I am very much looking forward to it.
My Picks
Alexandre Pantoja
Jonathan Martinez
Vitor Petrino
Michel Pereira
Caio Borralho
Joanderson Brito
Iasmin Lucindo
Elves Brener
William Gomis
Drakkar Klose
Mauricio Ruffy
Dione Barbosa
Ismael Bonfim
Kevin Borjas
Like I said before, I know most MMA eyes are on other cards, but don’t overlook this one. I think we are in for a really fun night on Saturday with some exciting fights in front of a frenetic crowd.
Will you be watching UFC 301? What fights are you looking forward to the most? Let me know at matt.tenhoeve@gmail.com. I’ll be back after the weekend to go over all the action. See you then!
