Instead of seeing Conor McGregor in the octagon once again, UFC 303 will feature the battle for the UFC light heavyweight belt, with Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka leading the show. The two had already met once; back then, Poatan won the title via stoppage. This is a big chance for Prochazka to get even and also regain his belt, which he had to vacate earlier due to a shoulder injury.
The battle will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The best possible odds can be found at this link.
Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka talk about their iconic staredown 🔥
(via @ufc) pic.twitter.com/LhcqV3EdJY
— Full Violence ™ (@Full_Violence) June 25, 2024
Alex Pereira
Poatan is one of the most powerful hitters in the UFC, and pound-for-pound, we don’t believe many guys can punch harder than the Brazilian. After all, his nickname, Poatan, means Hands of Stone, and that pretty much says enough about his crazy power.
His record in the UFC is ten wins and two losses; eight of those victories have come following a KO. After he lost the middleweight belt to Adesanya in their rematch, Pereira decided to move one division up, and since he had three wins – vs. Blachowicz, Prochazka, and Hill. His triumph over Jamahal Hill was highly impressive, with Poatan solving the guy who defeated his mentor, Glover Teixeira, via one ferocious uppercut.
Pereira was a world-class kickboxer before switching to the UFC, and he still uses fantastic kickboxing to beat his rivals. We haven’t seen him on the mat yet, because no rival would manage to take the Brazilian on the ground. The takedown defense he presents is insane. Regarding the other aspects of the fight, we can say that Pereira’s cardio looks good, and that his tactics and discipline are at the highest level.
Jiri Prochazka
The Samurai has only one decision win of 30. That’s how relentless he is. One decision, three submissions, and 26 knockout triumphs so far. On the other hand, he suffered four defeats, three after a KO and one by a submission. He came to the UFC as a Rizin champion and immediately made an impact, beating three top-tier light heavyweights and reaching the title – Volkan Oexdemir, Dominick Reyes, and Glover.
After that, Prochazka had a nasty shoulder injury, which forced him to vacate the belt and start recovering, which set him apart from the octagon for more than 15 months. Then, in return, the Samurai suffered a KO loss to Pereira, but we saw him shake the now-champion. The Czech fighter didn’t wait too long but entered the ring in April, beating Aleksandar Rakic via KO and earning another shot at the title.
Prochazka’s style in the octagon is unconventional, and his moves are sometimes illogical. However, that applies to us and the rivals, while the Czech knows perfectly what he’s doing. His reach is long, and combined with extremely powerful hits, it may be equal to Pereira’s, which is usually a one-way ticket to the KO land. We saw him battling successfully on the mat, though he avoided that. Sometimes, the discipline and the cardio are a bit doubtful, but when looking at his overall record, that simply doesn’t stand.
Pereira vs. Prochazka Head to Head
The two met at UFC 295, and Pereira won via KO stoppage in the second round. Many think the stoppage came too early, and some are questioning that decision, although the Brazilian had pretty much absolute control of the situation.
Pereira vs. Prochazka Predictions
One thing is sure here, and that would be that the fight isn’t going to distance. These guys have thunderbolts in their fists, and we really don’t expect to see them both standing at the end of the event. Considering the winner, that can go both ways, and we do not want to make any such predictions.
