It's been three weeks since UFC 300's dazzling card shook the mixed martial arts world and led many to believe it was the greatest night in professional fight history. UFC 301 is not like that. But then again, no card can match this now-legendary event, so we'll take what we can get. And if this sport has taught us anything, it's to expect the unexpected, especially when the matchup card isn't all that good on paper.
Saturday's UFC bout takes place at the Rio Arena in Rio de Janeiro and will be headlined by one of Brazil's best fighters, as champion Alexandre Pantoja looks to defend his flyweight belt against UFC newcomer Steve Arceg. A title fight means nothing to Pantoja, who was born and raised in Rio. Erceg enters as a +165 underdog and is on an 11-game winning streak. The King of Rio, Jose Aldo, will also return to the Octagon after a 21-month “retirement” to face the very dangerous Jonathan Martinez in the co-main event.
The rest of the pay-per-view portion of Saturday's card features a cast of Brazilian favorites (at least according to oddsmakers). UFC veteran and former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith is 4-1 in his fight against up-and-comer Vitor Petrino, who is undefeated with a 4-11-0 record in the UFC since making his debut in the promotion in March 2023. Defeated and at a disadvantage. . Submission specialist Paul Craig takes on Caio Boralho in the main card opener, before a scrappy pair of middleweights opens the main card, with the electrifying Michel Pereira taking on Ukraine's Ihor Potieria.
Follow all the action on Yahoo Sports with our live blog below. We'll be sharing all the latest results and highlights from across the card.
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UFC 301main Cards (Starts at 10pm ET, ESPN+ PPV)
All odds are via BetMGM.
• Flyweight Championship: Alexandre Pantoja (-200) vs. Steve Arceg (+165)
• Bantamweight: Jose Aldo (+135) vs. Jonathan Martinez (-165)
• Light Heavyweight: Anthony Smith (+400) vs. Vitor Petrino (-550)
• Middleweight: Michel Pereira (-450) vs. Ihor Potieria (+325)
• Middleweight: Paul Craig (+340) vs. Caio Boralho (-450)
UFC 301 Prelims, Odds (Starts at 8:00 PM ET, ESPN/ESPN+)
• Featherweight: JoAnderson Brito (-165) vs. Jack Shore (+140)
• Women's Strawweight: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (+260) vs. Yasmin Lucindo (-350)
• Lightweight: Elf Brenner (+200) vs. Miktibek Olorubai (-250)
• Lightweight: Joaquin Silva (+135) vs. Drucker Klose (-160)
UFC 301 Early Prelims, Highlights, Odds (Live on ESPN+)
• Lightweight: Mauricio Ruffy (-155) vs. Jamie Malarkey (+140)
• Women's flyweight: Dione Barbosa (-210) vs. Ernesta Calekite (+175)
• Lightweight: Ismael Bonfim def. Vink Patchel by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Flyweight: Alessandro Costa def. Kevin Borjas, R2 1:35 TKO:
