UFC 301 Highlights and Results - Alexandre Pantoja Secures a Decision Win Against Steve Erceg

The UFC 301 event was held on Saturday, May 04, 2024, at Farmasi Arena, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This 13-bout MMA event had a price tag of $79.99, primarily due to the title fight between the current UFC flyweight champion, defending his title against a No.10 competitor. All-in-all there were five headline bouts in this event.

The UFC 301 featured flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg, an Australian mixed martial artist who has emerged as a tough rival for many. It was a golden opportunity for Steve Erceg to grab a UFC title belt after just three fights in the UFC cage spanning over 11 months.

Up until this UFC fight card, Pantoja subdued Moreno at UFC 290 and claimed the title. He also successfully defended his title against Brandon Royval at UFC 296. On the other hand, Steve Erceg first contested in the early preliminary and mid-preliminary fights at UFC 285 and UFC 289. He later had the opportunity to compete against Matt Schnell at a UFC Fight Night main card and won the bout. 

The main highlight of UFC 301 was the co-main bantamweight title bout between Jose Aldo, former UFC featherweight champion, and Jonathan Martinez, a rising fighter. In this fight, Jose Aldo made an appearance after 21 months, and this fight may be the last one on his UFC contract. 

The main event of UFC 301 was a flyweight title contest between Pantoja and Erceg. The action-packed fight went a distance, and eventually, Pantoja emerged victorious via unanimous decision.

Throughout the five-round bout, Pantoja sustained many bruises and injuries, even more so than Erceg. Pantoja had a deep cut on his forehead and was also bleeding from a tear near his right eye. These injuries bloodied not only Pantoja’s face but also his opponent’s chest and the octagon’s canvas. However, he continued fighting with remarkable resilience, which impressed the judges and led them to award him a victory via unanimous decision. 

On the other hand, Erceg had an even score on the judges' scorecards. In the fifth round, he attempted a takedown, which he executed effortlessly, but Pantoja reversed and gained control. In another instance, both contestants were completely tied up and grappling for control, and eventually, Pantoja ended up on top of Erceg. From this dominant position, he delivered several powerful strikes, causing damage to his opponent and rendering him unable to retaliate. 

Overall, Alexandre Pantoja landed nine takedowns out of a total of 19 attempts, compared to Erceg, who only managed one out of six attempts. 

The number 12 bout was a co-main event featuring Jose Aldo and Jonathan Martinez. Both fighters demonstrated resilience and outstanding fighting skills in the octagon. As a result, the fight went a distance and after the conclusion of five rounds, Jose Aldo emerged victorious via unanimous decision.

The Hall of Famer had to prove his abilities in the octagon against one of the most favored prospects in the UFC. However, Aldo proved that he was better, faster, and sharper than his younger opponent. After a defeat against Rob Font in a 2021 UFC Fight Night, this bout marked Aldo’s first victory. In the last minute of the fight, Jose Aldo picked up pace, became more relentless with his powerful strikes, and landed a takedown as well. 

Though this bout was rumored as Jose’s last, he was willing to sit with Dana White and others to discuss his future with the MMA promotion. But after this fight and Aldo’s positive attitude, it didn’t seem that he is ready to retire or leave mixed martial arts. 

The UFC 301 main card bout marked Michel Pereira’s eighth consecutive win in the octagon. After an intense middleweight fight, Pereira defeated Potieria in under a minute with a standing guillotine choke submission. 

Anthony Smith competed against Vitor Petrino in the UFC 301 main card light heavyweight bout. He submitted his opponent with a guillotine choke submission technique in round one. 

Caio Borralho managed to maintain his winning streak by adding another victory to his previously accumulated 12 wins. For this, he defeated Paul Craig with a knockout finish in round two of a middleweight bout. 

In a flyweight fight, Alessandro Costa secured his first knockout finish in round two of UFC 301 against Kevin Borjas. Being a Brazilian UFC fighter who trains in Mexico, Costa was not very confident about competing on a PPV UFC card in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, in the octagon he appeared confident and powerful, ready to take on any challenge. He put up an amazing tight-fist fight and won via stoppage. 

The featherweight contest between Joanderson Brito and Jack Shore was a bloodied one. The former contestant managed to cause bleeding from Shore’s leg in round two. Consequently, all action was stopped and the referee announced a knockout victory for Joandeson Brito.

UFC reported that Joanderson “kicked a bullet hole in the shin of Jack Shore.” The promotion has also announced that with this victory, Joanderson has won five straight, all by stoppage, since dropping his promotional debut.” 

The UFC 301 preliminary fight marked Mauricio Ruffy’s debut in the octagon, and he secured the first knockout finish of his UFC career in the first round of a lightweight fight against Jamie Mullarkey. Mauricio Ruffy’s performance and ruthless fighting style made everyone think of Conor in the early years of his UFC career. 

Two-time UFC champion Daniel Cormier also had a similar opinion on Ruffy’s performance and overall fighting prowess. 

Mauricio Ruffy was absolutely lethal in the octagon. He bloodied Mullarkey’s nose with well-timed powerful strikes and punches. Next, he took Mullarkey down, employing scissor sweep technique and secured a finish with a jumping knee. This move was quickly followed by right hand punches to Mullarkey’s head that caused the referee to intervene, stop all action, and declare Ruffy victorious.