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

UFC's Robert Whittaker: 'I believe I'm the most dangerous middleweight ever'

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

• Conor McGregor was due to headline against Michael Chandler but suffered a broken toe
• New main event pitted Alex Pereira against Jiri Prochazka in a light-heavyweight title rematch
• Pereira knocked out Prochazka for the second time in seven months to retain the belt
• In a last-minute change, Dan Ige replaced the ill Brian Ortega to fight Diego Lopes
• Lopes won the co-main event on points after Ige stepped in on four hours’ notice
• Controversial Irish star Ian Machado Garry outpointed London’s Michael ‘Venom’ Page
• Machado Garry accused Page of bribing coaches for information before the fight

[30 June 2024 00:55 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 303 LIVE: Robert Whittaker interview

This week, Indy Sport interviewed Robert Whittaker (who may or may not be this writer’s favourite fighter, dating back to said writer’s pre-journalistic days. Of course, no bias anymore...).

Here’s what the former middleweight champion had to say about starching Ikram Aliskerov, his cancelled clash with Khamzat Chimaev, his next fight – and life in general:

[30 June 2024 00:42 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 303 LIVE: Jiri Prochazka asks Alex Pereira not to use rituals before title fight

Prochazka has called on Pereira not to use “rituals” or “spiritual things” ahead of their main event.

Prochazka is known for his commitment to samurai teachings, but he believes that Pereira’s own pre-fight preparation may be giving him an unfair advantage.

“I think he believes in a lot of things, the help of spiritual things,” said the former champion this week, speaking on The MMA Hour. “That’s something that I think he can’t fight without.

“I want to keep that in a clear line: just sport performance, pure performance, man versus man. I think he doesn’t know how to fight without [spiritual guidance], because he uses these things every time.

“Everybody knows he’s working with some shamans from his hometown. He believes in some spiritual help from them. I believe, too, but I believe in the best human performance – right here, right now, without magic.

“It’s working [for him], but I believe in a clear way; I want to win in that way.”

More here:

[29 June 2024 18:21 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 303 LIVE: Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka

Alex Pereira defends his world title against Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 303 tonight, as the light-heavyweights clash for the second time in seven months.

In November, Pereira stopped the former champion in round two, winning the vacant belt in the process. With that, the Brazilian became a two-weight titlist, having previously claimed middleweight gold. Now Prochazka gets a shot at revenge, and another shot at the belt he held in 2022 – before injury cut short the Czech’s reign.

UFC 303, which plays out at Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena, was due to be headlined by Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler, but a broken toe ruled out the Irishman. As such, Pereira and Prochazka step up here, and the rest of the card has also undergone several changes.

In the co-main event, former 145lb title challenger Brian Ortega faces rising contender Diego Lopes. Beforehand, controversial Irish star Ian Machado Garry fights London veteran Michael “Venom” Page.