A light heavyweight title rematch now headlines UFC International Fight Week
• 3 min read
It’s not unusual for International Fight Week to come with some drama, but this year’s might be one of the more confounding. UFC is back in Las Vegas for UFC 303 on Saturday — the crown jewel of International Fight Week in Sin City — with a new main and co-main event than previously scheduled. Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will look to defend his title against Jiri Prochazka in the main event while Diego Lopes and Brian Ortega will throw down in a featherweight co-main event inside T-Mobile Arena.
The main event was expected to see the return of Conor McGregor in a showdown with Michael Chandler. Unfortunately, McGregor suffered an injury in training camp and was forced to withdraw just a couple weeks out from the event.
Prochazka won the title at UFC 275, winning an outstanding fight against Pereira’s friend and MMA mentor Glover Teixeira but was forced to vacate the title due to injury before defending it even once. Prochazka’s comeback fight was with Pereira for the vacant title, which Pereira won by TKO in the second round.
“I have to say, no matter the result… I will not change. I will not change anything,” Prochazka said at media day. “I want to do the same this Saturday. I want to do the same, but much better. Be more precise in the details. Watch the calf kicks, just a little bit! And win. Just win!”
Given that the card was originally centered around McGregor, the undercard is fairly shallow on name value, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of action worth keeping an eye on. Rising middleweight contender Joe Pfyer looks to get back on track when he takes on Marc-Andre Barriault in a preliminary bout. Ian Machado Garry and Michael “Venom” Page are set to square off in an interesting welterweight contest between rising contenders. And a late addition to the card sees Roman Dolidze move up to light heavyweight to challenge veteran Anthony Smith.
It should be a wild night of fights to cap off International Fight Week. Below is the complete fight card for UFC 303 along with the latest odds. Check back all week for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event.
UFC 303 fight card, odds
- Alex Pereira (c) -150 vs. Jiri Prochazka +125, light heavyweight title
- Diego Lopes -145 vs. Brian Ortega +120, lightweights
- Roman Dolidze def. Anthony Smith via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Macy Chiasson def. Mayra Bueno Silva via second-round TKO (doctor’s stoppage)
- Ian Machado Garry def. Michael Page via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Joe Pyfer def. Marc-Andre Barriault via first-round knockout (punch)
- Andre Fili def. Cub Swanson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Jean Silva def. Charles Jourdain via second-round knockout (punch)
- Payton Talbott def. Yanis Ghemmouri via first-round knockout (punches)
- Gillian Robertson def. Michelle Waterson-Gomez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- 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 Olivera def. Ricky Simon via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
UFC 303 info
- Date: June 29
- Location: T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
UFC 303 countdown
- Staff predictions and expert picks for the main card
- Brookhouse: Best bets to consider on the main card
- Campbell: How Pereira quickly became the face of UFC
- Mahjouri: Undercard fights to watch this weekend
- Campbell: Five biggest storylines to watch at International Fight Week
- Campbell: White and Co. owe fans an explanation over McGregor situation
- Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 set as new main event for International Fight Week
- McGregor injured, out of main event against Chandler
Who wins UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka 2, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on UFC 303, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and find out.
