Fresh off of a wild show at UFC 300 last month, the octagon will return to Brazil as UFC 301 emanates from Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. While the card couldn’t possibly be as stacked as the last pay-per-view, there are some very exciting matchups here, featuring some of the top fighters in the game.
Light heavyweight bout: Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino
The UFC’s resident fighter-turned-analyst-turned-fighter, Anthony Smith is a longtime veteran of the octagon with a 37-19 record across his professional career. Smith has also scored 20 knockouts and 14 submissions, so he clearly knows how to finish a fight. He’s also been in the octagon against some of the best, including Shogun Rua, Rashad Evans, Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira. The experience is clearly on his side, but 35-year-old is also coming off of losses in three of his last four, including a knockout in his last outing. The former championship challenger needs to start stringing together wins to build momentum and climb the ranks again. He can do that by putting his explosive hands together and looking to secure his 21st career knockout.
However, there is a reason Smith is a big underdog in this contest. Vitor Petrino comes into this meeting with a perfect 11-0 record, including wins in his first four trips to the octagon. Petrino has also racked up seven knockouts in his young career and is looking like a very promising prospect. This will be a big ramp up in competition for him though and he is certainly going to have to be wary of the crafty veteran. One way or another, we should see some fireworks in this matchup.
My pick: Petrino via second round knockout
Bantamweight bout: Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez
It’s not every day you get to watch a UFC Hall of Fame inductee in the octagon. That will be the case when Jose Aldo steps in for this fight though as the former champ was inducted into the modern wing last year. Aldo comes into this meeting with a 31-8 record and 17 knockouts. He will be looking to bounce back from the loss that snapped his three-fight winning streak when he faced off against top contender Merab Dvalishvili. Aldo is still a prolific striker with punishing leg kicks, which he will likely use to stay on the outside and pick his opponent apart.
Speaking of leg kicks, Jonathan Martinez might be the only guy in the sport who can deliver more punishment than Aldo. Martinez is riding a six-fight winning streak, with two of his last three wins coming by leg kick TKO. All of that brings his record to an impressive 19-4 with nine knockouts. This is a very interesting stylistic matchup between two guys who really know how to strike from a distance. It will be very interesting to see if they are willing to trade leg kicks, and if not, who will change up the gameplan first?
My pick: Aldo via decision
Flyweight championship bout: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg
The UFC’s flyweight division has been wild in recent years. From an epic four-fight championship rivalry between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo, to a brand new champ looking to establish dominance. One thins is for sure when you have a flyweight main event: you’re in for a show.
Alexandre Pantoja proved he belongs atop the class when he defended his flyweight crown against Brandon Royval in a very entertaining fight back in December. Now, he wants to build a legacy as one of the best ever as he looks to keep that title around his waist once again. With a 27-5 record, eight knockouts and 10 submissions, the champ has proven he is game to take on all challengers wherever the fight may take them. His fast-paced striking and relentless grappling make him a very difficult puzzle to solve for any opponent. His gameplan can truly be exploiting whatever weakness he sees in an opponent, which in this case, might just be in the striking game.
Steve Erceg is undoubtedly a talented fighter, with an impressive resume. At just 28 years old, he sports a 12-1 record with six submissions. However, it’s hard to overlook the fact that he is currently jumping up from the 10th spot in the rankings for this championship shot in just his fourth UFC fight. Landing a knockout victory over Matt Schnell a couple of months ago seems to have been enough to score this young fighter a huge opportunity. Whether or not he is actually ready for it, remains to be seen.
My pick: Pantoja via decision
UFC 301 will be held Saturday, May 4 at 10 PM ET. ESPN+ subscribers can order the pay per view for $79.99.