UFC 303 LIVE: Pereira vs Prochazka fight updates and results after Dan Ige steps in on four hours’ notice
Follow live as Alex Pereira defends the light-heavyweight title in a rematch with ex-champion Jiri Prochazka
Alex Pereira’s remarkable MMA run continued on Saturday, as the Brazilian knocked out Jiri Prochazka for the second time in seven months, retaining the UFC light-heavyweight title.
Pereira, a kickboxing great, became a two-weight UFC champion within two years of joining the promotion, stopping Prochazka in November to win the vacant 205lb belt – having previously held the 185lb strap. And on Saturday (29 June), in the main event of UFC 303, Pereira knocked out Prochazka in the second round again, recording a second defence of the light-heavyweight title.
In the final second of round one, Pereira dropped Prochazka with a signature left hook. Then, in the opening moments of round two, Pereira dropped the Czech with a head kick. Pereira then finished the former champion on the canvas with ground and pound.
Pereira, 36, and Prochazka, 31, stepped up after the original main event, Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler, collapsed this month. Re-live updates and see all results from UFC 303, below.
UFC 303 LIVE: Joe Pyfer vs Marc-Andre Barriault
The final prelim fight of the night is up next: Joe Pyfer vs Marc-Andre Barriault at middleweight.
Round one
Pyfer stalks Barriault early, but neither man is throwing much. A low kick by Pyfer. Now he sticks out a jab.
An overhand right just about gets through for Pyfer, and he adds some hooks to the body... Barriault is covering up! He must be hurt!
OH! Another overhand by Pyfer, and Barriault drops to his knees! One more right hand, and Barriault faceplants! It’s over!
Joe Pyfer def. Marc-Andre Barriault via first-round KO (punches, 1:25)
UFC 303 LIVE: Dan Ige replaces Brian Ortega against Diego Lopes at last minute
As mentioned in a few posts tonight, the UFC 303 card has undergone so many changes, one of which involved the co-main event – Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes – being moved from 145lb to 155lb yesterday.
HOWEVER, it has officially been confirmed that Ortega is out of the fight with a fever, and that Dan Ige – who trains in Las Vegas – is replacing him on short notice.
We’ve had some very short-notice fights in the UFC, but this is the WILDEST ever.
It was Ortega’s poor weight-cut that caused the original weight change against Lopes, by the way, after the pair were named in the FIFTH attempted co-main event of UFC 303.
Now, it will be Lopes vs Ige in a 165lb catchweight bout.
UFC 303 LIVE: Cub Swanson vs Andre Fili
Round three
Another clean right cross by Swanson, and another! He overshoots with one punch, though, and Fili ducks under for a single-leg.
Fili gets the takedown, but Swanson is quickly back to his feet, defending against the fence. Swanson gets free, and both men land clean punches in the ensuing exchange. Both men check kicks, too.
Again Fili goes to the well with another takedown attempt – a double-leg this time – but to no avail.
Hard right hook by Swanson, but again Fili grapples the 40-year-old to halt the striking threat. Swanson slips free and lands two more right hooks in the final seconds of the fight!
Andre Fili def. Cub Swanson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC 303 LIVE: Cub Swanson vs Andre Fili
Round one
Swanson, 40, stands orthodox, while Fili, 34, is southpaw. Swanson with a cross to the body, now one upstairs. Fili lands a knee to the body.
Fili with a head kick then a body kick. Stiff jab by Swanson, and another. Oblique kick by Swanson. Fili’s left hook has been off target a few times, and Swanson’s jabs have landed underneath it.
Another body kick by Fili. Swanson backs him up and lands a combination against the fence.
Round two
Fili holds Swanson against the fence. There are some boos for a period of relative inactivity.
Eventually they separate, and Swanson jolts back Fili’s head with a pair of right crosses! Fili fires back with an uppercut!
He ends the round with a single-leg, driving Swanson to the fence again.
UFC 303 LIVE: Cub Swanson vs Andre Fili
Another great MMA nickname: Andre “Touchy” Fili.
He’s in featherweight action next, against Cub Swanson.
UFC 303 LIVE: Charles Jourdain vs Jean Silva
Round two
OH! The uppercut is there again for Silva, and to devastating effect this time! He defends a single-leg takedown against the fence, and as soon as Jourdain lets go and stands up, Silva drills the uppercut.
It’s a heavy landing for Jourdain, whose head bounces off the canvas, and it’s a walk-off KO for Silva. It had been coming.
Jean Silva def. Charles Jourdain via second-round KO (uppercut, 1:22)
Silva is interviewed in the cage, wearing some comedic glasses (a reference to his team, The Fighting Nerds), but the laughter is soon drowned under tears. Silva is very emotional right now, very happy.
UFC 303 LIVE: Charles Jourdain vs Jean Silva
Round one
Canada’s Jourdain stands southpaw. Brazilian Silva is orthodox.
Silva kicks low and hard early on. Jourdain misses with a head kick. A frantic close-range exchange ends with Silva missing a spinning back fist attempt. Another head-kick miss from Jourdain, who has followed these misses by darting off to his right.
Silva is pressing forward, backing up Jourdain, but he’s not throwing much yet. Under that pressure, though, Jourdain shoots a double-leg takedown.
Silva tries to counter with a guillotine, but he can’t close the grip. There’s a brief spell of grappling on the canvas, but Silva soon scrambles out and back to his feet.
OH! Jourdain rushes onto a counter left hand, and he’s dropped badly! Silva throws some clean ground and pound, but he soon eases off and beckons Jourdain back to his feet!
Before long, Jourdain is rocked again – in part from an uppercut – and he tries another takedown. Against the fence, Silva looks to deter the Canadian with elbows to the head.
The round ends with a takedown by Jourdain, and an unsuccessful armbar attempt from Silva.
UFC 303 LIVE: Charles Jourdain vs Jean Silva
Next up, men’s featherweight action! Charles Jourdain takes on Jean Silva.
“Air” Jourdain is one of the best nicknames in MMA, surely.
Silva came in 1.5lb over the featherweight limit of 146lb.
UFC 303 LIVE: Payton Talbott and Yanis Ghemmouri
We kick off the regular prelims with a bantamweight bout between Payton Talbott and Yanis Ghemmouri.
Talbott, 25, is one of the most highly-rated UFC prospects in some time.
Round one
Talbott with a HUGE right cross inside the first 15 seconds, and Ghemmouri is dropped hard; he hits his head on the canvas badly.
Talbott pours on ground and pound, and Ghemmouri appears to go out... The referee steps in and waves off the fight!!
THAT is why Talbott is so highly rated. He gets the win in 19 seconds.
Payton Talbott def. Yanis Ghemmouri via first-round KO (punches, 0:19)
UFC 303 LIVE: Regular prelims under way
The regular prelims are under way!
Our live, round-by-round updates will begin in a few moments, but first: Here’s a round-up of the early-prelim results...
Gillian Robertson def. Michelle Waterson-Gomez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
(Waterson-Gomez announced her retirement after the bout.)
Martin Buday def. Andrei Arlovski via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Rei Tsuruya def. Carlos Hernandez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Vinicius Oliveira def. Ricky Simon via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
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