Alexandre Pantoja enjoyed a lengthy reign at the top of the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division, but troubles left him with some battle scars.
“The Man-Eater” defeated Australian challenger Steve Arceg by unanimous decision on Saturday in the headliner of UFC 301 at Rio de Janeiro’s Farmasi Arena to retain the 125-pound title, showcasing his all-terrain skills and big He made use of his experience in fighting. Pantoja (28-5, 12-3 UFC) dominated the scorecards with marks of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 from the cageside judges, giving him his sixth straight win in a complete fight of will. I pressed
Erceg (12-2, 3-1 UFC), who entered the Octagon on an 11-fight winning streak, was a strong contender and almost certainly raised his losing stock. He slashed Pantoja twice with well-timed elbows, causing lacerations to his scalp and near his right eye. Erceg fought back effectively throughout, putting together clean punch combinations against the respected champion. Pantoja pressed the issue by coming forward and aiming punches to the body, but he made a lot of headway in the grappling exchanges. He scored nine takedowns and scrambled to gain nearly six minutes of control time against Erceg. Pantoja dispelled any thoughts of an upset midway through the fifth round, getting a takedown on the counter and rising to top position, briefly going into full mount and adding ground and pound, letting his star shine when it mattered most.
Meanwhile, UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo came out of retirement and defeated one of the bantamweight division’s fastest-rising stars by taking a unanimous decision from Jonathan Martinez in a three-round co-main event at 135 pounds. Broke it. All three judges scored it 30-27 for Aldo (32-8, 14-7 UFC). This was Aldo’s first fight inside the Octagon since losing a decision to Merab Dvalishvili on August 20, 2022.
Martinez (19-5, 10-4 UFC) looked like a star at times, but he was far better than most. Aldo attacked him with a combination of fast punches to the head and body and patented leg kicks. By the start of the third round he had built up a significant lead. Late in the period, he staggered Martinez with a hard left hook to the temple, then followed up with punches and scored a takedown. Ground and pound followed, and Aldo tried to run out the clock and move up the standings.
The setback ended Martinez’s winning streak at six.
Also, former Cage Fury Fighting Championship titleholder Anthony Smith defeated Dana White’s Contender Series alum Vitor Petrino with a guillotine choke in the first round of a light heavyweight showcase. Ta. Petrino (11-1, 4-1 UFC) raised the white flag of surrender at 2:00 into the second round.
Smith (38-19, 13-9 UFC) called on his extensive experience after countering the Brazilian’s forward movement with a vicious leg kick. Petrino swooped in for a reckless double leg takedown, leaving his neck vulnerable in the process. Smith tightened his grip on the choke, prompting him to tap out.
It was Smith’s first guillotine choke in his 57-fight career.
Further down the main card, Overcame Academy’s dynamic star Michel Pereira defeated Ihor Potieria with a guillotine choke in the first round of their middleweight bout. Potieria (20-6, 2-4 UFC), who replaced Mahmud Muradov on short notice, was eliminated 54 seconds into round one.
The 30-year-old Pereira (31-11, 9-2 UFC) tested his form with kicks before sending the off-balance Ukrainian to the mat with a clean one-two. Unsatisfied with his own work, “Demoridor” performed a backflip and crashed his knee into Potielia’s neck and chest as he sat on the ground, dangerously close to his head. This started a scramble, at which point Pereira took a standing guillotine. Potieria tapped out after a brief but futile struggle and crashed backwards into the canvas, appearing to momentarily lose consciousness.
Pereira has won eight straight fights, three of which came in 66 seconds or less.
Finally, Fighting Nerds standout Caio Boralho punched away former British Mixed Martial Arts Association champion Paul Craig in the second round of the middleweight appetizer. Craig (17-8-1, 9-8-1 UFC) checked out 2:10 into the second round, suffering his fourth loss in five fights.
Boralho (16-1, 6-0 UFC) dictated the pace and direction of the fight for much of the first round, connecting with hooks upstairs, mixing in a few body kicks, and hitting the Scottish Hit Squad. He rejected the representative’s repeated attempts to seduce him. Transfer him to ground exchange. In the second round, he snapped Craig’s head back with a left hand thrust and followed up with a flying knee, resetting if an immediate finish did not emerge. Shortly after, a combination of left and right hooks left “Bear Jew” on unstable footing, forcing him to retreat. Boralho hit a series of follow-up shots, and his final straight left sealed the Scot’s fate.
Boralho, 31, has won 13 straight fights.
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