Pre-fight Discussion UFC 301: Pantoja v. Erceg, Sat. 5/4, Prelims 6PM ET, Main card 10PM ET PPV

[PurpleStorm]

Hey folks.This weekend the UFC presents a numbered card, UFC 301: Pantoja vs. Erceg, live from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Featuring a Flyweight Title Fight and the return of Jose Aldo. What are your thoughts, breakdowns and predictions on specific fights? Please keep the conversation civil. Thanks and enjoy this week's pre-fight discussion!

Date/Time: Saturday 05.04.2024 at 06:00 PM ET
U.S. Broadcast: Pay Per View
Preliminary Card: ESPN
Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ownership: Endeavor
Venue: Jeunesse Arena
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Enclosure: Octagon
MMA Bouts: 14

UFC 301 - PANTOJA VS. ERCEG​

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
MAY 4, 2024

FARMASI ARENA, RIO DE JANEIRO, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

​

ALEXANDRE PANTOJA​	STEVE ERCEG​
27-5-0​	12-1-0​

MAIN EVENT TITLE FIGHT
FLYWEIGHT
​

MATCH​	FIGHTERS​	​	​
13​	Jose Aldo 31-8-0​	Bantamweight​	Jonathan Martinez 19-4-0​
12​	Anthony Smith 37-19-0​	Light Heavyweight​	Vitor Petrino 11-0-0​
11​	Michel Pereira 30-11-0​	Middleweight​	Ihor Potieria 20-5-0​
10​	Paul Craig 17-7-1​	Middleweight​	Caio Borralho 15-1-0​
9​	Jack Shore 17-1-0​	Featherweight​	Joanderson Brito 16-3-1​
8​	Karolina Kowalkiewicz 16-7-0​	Strawweight​	Iasmin Lucindo 15-5-0​
7​	Elves Brener 16-3-0​	Lightweight​	Myktybek Orolbai 12-1-1​
6​	Jean Silva 12-2-0​	Featherweight​	William Gomis 13-2-0​
5​	Joaquim Silva 13-4-0​	Lightweight​	Drakkar Klose 14-2-1​
4​	Mauricio Ruffy 9-1-0​	Lightweight​	Jamie Mullarkey 17-7-0​
3​	Dione Barbosa 6-2-0​	Flyweight​	Ernesta Kareckaite 5-0-1​
2​	Ismael Bonfim 19-4-0​	Lightweight​	Vinc Pichel 14-3-0​
1​	Alessandro Costa 13-4-0​	Flyweight​	Kevin Borjas 9-2-0​

Shillan and Duffy: UFC 301 Preview​

FacebookTwitterReddit0Email

BEN DUFFY KEITH SHILLAN APR 29, 2024 COMMENTS
Keith and Ben are back to preview UFC 301, with detailed predictions and picks for all 14 fights. Along the way, there's a fair share of side conversations and...one heck of a "story time with Keith."



0:00 Intro: In search of Dick's
13:39 Alessandro Costa (13-4) vs. Kevin Borjas (9-2)
21:17 Ismael Bonfim (19-4) vs. Vinc Pichel (14-3)
34:17 Dione Barbosa (6-2) vs. Ernesta Kareckaite (5-0-1)
42:36 Mauricio Ruffy (9-1) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (17-7)
47:47 Joaquim Silva (13-4) vs. Drakkar Klose (14-2-1)
59:15 Jean Silva (12-2) vs. William Gomis (13-2)
1:06:23 Elves Brener (16-3) vs. Myktybek Orolbai (12-1-1)
1:13:10 Karolina Kowalkiewicz (16-7) vs. Iasmin Lucindo (15-5)
1:22:55 Jack Shore (17-1) vs. Joanderson Brito (16-3-1)
1:31:30 Paul Craig (17-7-1) vs. Caio Borralho (15-1)
1:40:43 Michel Pereira (30-11) vs. Ihor Potieria (20-5)
1:51:41 Anthony Smith (37-19) vs. Vitor Petrino (11-0)
2:02:38 Jonathan Martinez (19-4) vs. Jose Aldo (31-8)
2:20:10 Alexandre Pantoja (27-5) vs. Steve Erceg (12-1)
2:37:33 A quick rundown of all the picks

Sherdog Social Media:
Follow on Twitter: / sherdogdotcom
Like on Facebook: / officialsherdog
Follow on Instagram: / official_sherdog

Sherdog is the industry pioneer in UFC, Bellator and all things MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). MMA news, interviews, pictures, videos and more since 1997.

More on Sherdog.com: http://www.sherdog.com

 

[Luthien]

Any betters?

 

[Davidjacksonjones]

Enjoy the fight guys

 

[gentel]

It's Drakkar Klose fight week

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

So happy to see Aldo again! I love Aldo.. such a great fighter and legend! lets go. War Aldo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sixstring]

Any betters?

Quickest tap poster eva! I might be a better but I need to go do my tap card. I bet you've done all your tap cards for the next 30 ufcs already!

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

Could be the third Aussie UFC champion, i never thought we'd see even one!

 

[Gio]

 

[Luthien]

Quickest tap poster eva!

 

[Danespina]

Fun card. This barely makes sense, but it kind of gives me the vibes of when I would order Rizin PPVs in 2017.

 

[PurpleStorm]

Fun card. This barely makes sense, but it kind of gives me the vibes of when I would order Rizin PPVs in 2017.

I think I know what you mean in that some of the matchups seem kind of random but still (for me) have entertainment value.

I've watched a few Rizin cards where there are names that I wanna see regardless of stakes. Exhibition type matches of popular fighters like Tenshin or Rena. With One or BKFC cards I watch when I can because damn near every fight's a banger.

This card has Pantoja, Aldo, Smith, Kowalkiewicz, Drakkar Klose among others. And a main event for a flyweight championship albeit where they had to find a replacement contender.

I'm like oh let's see Aldo in Rio because he's an all-time great! Even if it may not mean much in terms of future rankings or belt implications. I'll root for him to perform well and make money. As always for me I still find entertainment in it. Hope that's sort of what you were thinking lol.

 

[GrantB13]

Was this the card everyone was shitting on or maybe a different one? After looking at the lineup there's several fights I'm interested in.

 

[PurpleStorm]

Was this the card everyone was shitting on or maybe a different one? After looking at the lineup there's several fights I'm interested in.

People do that with every card. There were people bagging on 300 for crissakes.

 

[Doughie99]

My thoughts are :

1) There's going to be a lot of KOs and Submission on this UFC301 card.
2) There's going to be a lot of short fights on this UFC301 card.
3) There's going to be some fights in the crowd during UFC301 and a large quantity of alocoholic beverages will be consumed.
3) I think Steve Erceg (maybe not his real name) has an older brother called Steve Carell who is an American actor (he was in 40-yr-old Virgin) but Erceg keeps this quiet as he wants to be taken seriously as an MMA fighter.

 

[Danespina]

I think I know what you mean in that some of the matchups seem kind of random but still (for me) have entertainment value.

I've watched a few Rizin cards where there are names that I wanna see regardless of stakes. Exhibition type matches of popular fighters like Tenshin or Rena. With One or BKFC cards I watch when I can because damn near every fight's a banger.

This card has Pantoja, Aldo, Smith, Kowalkiewicz, Drakkar Klose among others. And a main event for a flyweight championship albeit where they had to find a replacement contender.

I'm like oh let's see Aldo in Rio because he's an all-time great! Even if it may not mean much in terms of future rankings or belt implications. I'll root for him to perform well and make money. As always for me I still find entertainment in it. Hope that's sort of what you were thinking lol.

Yeah I think you helped narrow in on the feeling. A low weight title bout. A retired legend like Aldo returning. One random big man fight in Anthony Smith. Pure entertainment with Michel Pereira (even if his opponent is low quality). It just kind of clicks a certain way. All we need is pyro.

 

[PurpleStorm]

 

[PurpleStorm]

Alexandre Pantoja: A Gracious Champion​

FacebookTwitterReddit0Email

CHRISTIAN STEIN APR 30, 2024

Alexandre Pantoja sees his success as a testament to those who invested time, money, energy and expertise in his mixed martial arts career many moons ago.

“The seed that was planted when I was very young is bearing fruit,” he told Sherdog.com. “Many people helped along the way, making that seed grow into a solid tree. I’m very happy with what I’ve achieved thanks to those people. They didn’t let me give up. They helped it all happen. They’re still by my side, and their happiness motivates me to continue. I still want to prove myself. I want to see how far I can go.”

“Erceg is a very tough fighter,” Pantoja said. “He’s big and strong for our weight class. He’s also young. He’s one of the new generation of guys coming to MMA. I’m getting ready harder than usual, especially since we’ll be fighting in my home. I want to put on a great show for everyone. I’m confident that Erceg deserves this shot. I’m training very hard for my fight. I’m still evolving.”

Erceg, 28, has rattled off 11 consecutive victories, the last three of them in the UFC. The well-rounded Australian nailed down his title shot in March, when he punched out Matt Schnell in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 238 pairing. Erceg has secured eight of his 12 professional wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

“I always talk about how tough the flyweight division is,” Pantoja said. “Without a doubt, any Top 10 guy can bring a difficult challenge to the champion. I’ll make sure I do everything in my power to remain the world champion.”

Pantoja continues to operate out of the famed American Top Team camp in Coconut Creek, Florida, where he enjoys daily access to world-class coaches and sparring partners.

“Training there is what made it possible for me to become the UFC champion,” he said. “Once I set foot in the academy after my fights, I don’t see myself as the champ. I have to chase after my goals all over again so I can recapture the belt on May 4. My training partners are a big help. They have high expectations of me. They beat me up every day. My coaches know me very well. We’re living through a great period together. They know how hard we have to work to bring home the victory.”

Now recognized as one of the Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC, Pantoja concedes his life has changed since he dethroned Brandon Moreno and captured the flyweight crown in July.

“The best part of making more money, now that I’m the champ, is having more time for my family,” he said. “Two years ago, I was an Uber driver, and my wife also needed to work. We didn’t get to enjoy much time with each other or with our children. I see this additional money as giving that time. It was the best part of becoming champion.”

Alexandre Pantoja: A Gracious Champion

The Brazilian will put his undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight title on the line when he confronts Steve Erceg in the UFC 301 headliner.

www.sherdog.com

 

[Conan the K-9]

Alexandre Pantoja: A Gracious Champion​

FacebookTwitterReddit0Email

CHRISTIAN STEIN APR 30, 2024

Alexandre Pantoja sees his success as a testament to those who invested time, money, energy and expertise in his mixed martial arts career many moons ago.

“The seed that was planted when I was very young is bearing fruit,” he told Sherdog.com. “Many people helped along the way, making that seed grow into a solid tree. I’m very happy with what I’ve achieved thanks to those people. They didn’t let me give up. They helped it all happen. They’re still by my side, and their happiness motivates me to continue. I still want to prove myself. I want to see how far I can go.”

“Erceg is a very tough fighter,” Pantoja said. “He’s big and strong for our weight class. He’s also young. He’s one of the new generation of guys coming to MMA. I’m getting ready harder than usual, especially since we’ll be fighting in my home. I want to put on a great show for everyone. I’m confident that Erceg deserves this shot. I’m training very hard for my fight. I’m still evolving.”

Erceg, 28, has rattled off 11 consecutive victories, the last three of them in the UFC. The well-rounded Australian nailed down his title shot in March, when he punched out Matt Schnell in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 238 pairing. Erceg has secured eight of his 12 professional wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

“I always talk about how tough the flyweight division is,” Pantoja said. “Without a doubt, any Top 10 guy can bring a difficult challenge to the champion. I’ll make sure I do everything in my power to remain the world champion.”

Pantoja continues to operate out of the famed American Top Team camp in Coconut Creek, Florida, where he enjoys daily access to world-class coaches and sparring partners.

“Training there is what made it possible for me to become the UFC champion,” he said. “Once I set foot in the academy after my fights, I don’t see myself as the champ. I have to chase after my goals all over again so I can recapture the belt on May 4. My training partners are a big help. They have high expectations of me. They beat me up every day. My coaches know me very well. We’re living through a great period together. They know how hard we have to work to bring home the victory.”

Now recognized as one of the Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC, Pantoja concedes his life has changed since he dethroned Brandon Moreno and captured the flyweight crown in July.

“The best part of making more money, now that I’m the champ, is having more time for my family,” he said. “Two years ago, I was an Uber driver, and my wife also needed to work. We didn’t get to enjoy much time with each other or with our children. I see this additional money as giving that time. It was the best part of becoming champion.”

Alexandre Pantoja: A Gracious Champion

The Brazilian will put his undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight title on the line when he confronts Steve Erceg in the UFC 301 headliner.

www.sherdog.com

Pantoja is a rarity for a champ to day. Very active, wants to fight everyone, humble, respectful, speaks good things about his opponents. Not sure if we deserve him!

 

[Danespina]

Karolina Kowalkiewicz is on a pretty surprising 4-0 run heading into this one. That's pretty awesome.

 

[TITS]

Why couldn't they make Baldo vs Cruz happen? I know he just wants to fight off his contract so he can get back to boxing without being under control of the UFC, but they could have found a better name for him.