The main event of UFC 303 will feature a highly anticipated rematch.
Eight months after their main event at UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden in New York, Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira will return to the Octagon, this time at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Last time, Prochazka came in as the favorite and dominated the bout in the first round, only to be knocked out by the Brazilian fighter in the second. This time, the Czech fighter enters as the underdog. Several notable figures in the Brazilian MMA community shared their thoughts on the UFC 303 main event on Sherdog.com.
Pedro Rizzo (former UFC heavyweight contender): If Poitan was asked to fight a fighter with the opposite style, a wrestler like Daniel Cormier who has a full camp, and he has less than a week left in camp, it would not be a wise decision to put the belt on the line, but that is not the case this time. Ili is a kickboxer and I don’t think he will go for a takedown against Poitan, even though his ground-and-pound is dangerous. Ili is a very dangerous striker, but Poitan is the best kickboxer in the division, so I think he will win again this time.
Carlos Barreto (UFC Fight Pass commentator): Ili is one of the most dangerous opponents for a champion. He is aggressive, strong and has knockout power. But he lacks tactical application. I think his Achilles heel is his fighting IQ, which could be a big problem when facing an accurate and deadly sniper like Poitan. Ili obviously has strong ground-and-pound, but he is not a fighter that is characterized by controlling his opponent on the ground like Khabib is. He tends to give his opponent a lot of openings to get back into a striking match. And in this striking match, Poitan is more lethal than him, and he also has the mental strength that is so important for a champion.
Renato Carneiro (UFC lightweight): The only certainty in this fight is that it won’t go to a decision. Both Prochazka and “Poitan” are fighters who are always looking for the knockout. When two strikers with their knockout power face each other, there’s no way the fight will last five rounds. Prochazka is very dangerous and has been training longer, but “Poitan” is a more technical and offensive striker. He’s a fighter who never stops training. That’s why I believe he’ll win again.
Antonio Carlos Jr. (PFL Fighter): I think the fans won with the collapse of the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight. After all, everyone wants to see this rematch. No doubt, Jiri is a tough guy with a hard karate technique to crack, but “Poitan” is the best striker in the division and I expect him to win again.
