If you thought the success and magnitude of UFC 300 was the be-all and end-all of professional MMA in 2024, you’d be severely mistaken. Brace yourselves, as Dana White and company are bringing the thunder with their return to Brazil in two weeks, a momentous occasion that should leave every MMA fan, particularly those with a soft spot for Brazilian fighters, feeling excited and privileged.
In their long-awaited return to Cidade Marahilhosa (Marvelous City), the Ultimate Fighting Championship has assembled a formidable lineup of the best Brazilian talent, promising an epic show.
TWO WEEKS OUT! 🏆🇧🇷
Our return to Rio is fast approaching and it’s unmissable!
📅 #UFC301 | 𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐉𝐀 𝐯𝐬 𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐆 | MAY 5 pic.twitter.com/OqjrJylSbo
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) April 21, 2024
On May 4th, 2024, the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, a historic venue known for its passionate crowds, will have its roof blown off by the die-hard MMA enthusiasts of South America. Today, we’re taking a closer look at the highly anticipated UFC 301 festivities, which promise to be a night of thrilling fights and unforgettable moments at the UFC betting sites.
Brazil’s Relationship With MMA
The newer generation of MMA fans may often wonder about the high number of Brazilian fighters in the UFC’s talent pool and how easily the promotion can regularly stack a fight card with Brazil-based talent. This, however, can be explained by one family name… the Gracies. The Gracies, known for their mastery of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, have left an indelible mark on the sport. Their influence can be seen in the fighting styles of many Brazilian fighters in the UFC today.
Besides the fact that the Gracie family invented Brazilian jiu-jitsu – one of MMA’s most dominant fighting bases -Royce was the original UFC champion. As a representative of Brazil, he became a pioneer of the sport, a figure that should evoke a sense of nostalgia and appreciation in every MMA fan.
Royce’s early dominance started a trickledown effect in Brazil, and aside from American-born fighters, no other nation on the planet has had more fighters on the UFC roster than Brazil.
Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Junior dos Santos, Antonio Nogueira, Lyoto Machida and Fabricio Werdum each played a pivotal role in Brazil’s path toward recognition within the sport. With UFC 301 approaching, Brazil’s fighters are ready to defend their legacy and show the world why they are still a force to be reckoned with in the world of mixed martial arts.
The King of Rio Returns
While it’s an unfathomable reality, not every legend we previously mentioned has finished stomping Brazil’s legacy on the sport. “The King of Rio,” Jose Aldo, shockingly announced his UFC 301 return in early April.
Aldo, 37, officially retired from the sport in September, 2022. He’s one of the most decorated athletes in the UFC’s history, a Hall of Fame inductee, and, during his prime, was arguably the most dominant pound-for-pound fighter alive!
In his first 26 pro-MMA bouts, Aldo soared through the rankings, held a 25-1 record and ultimately collected the UFC featherweight championship when the company merged with WEC. After seven successful title defenses, the famous Conor McGregor knockout slightly dented his legacy, but could a two-year reevaluation see him return to a lower weight class (bantamweight) and make another serious run for the belt?
Only time will tell, but first, he must get through Jonathan Martinez in Rio. As seven years junior to Aldo, Martinez is 19-4 as a pro and 10-3 in the UFC with a six-fight win streak to his name. It’s no easy return for Aldo, but if anybody possesses the skills and can defy the odds of father time, it’s the “King of Rio”.
“THE KING OF RIO” RETURNS – IN RIO!
UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo ends his MMA retirement to face Jonathan Martinez at #UFC301 in Brazil. 🇧🇷
Full story: https://t.co/EnRaWuJGFN pic.twitter.com/7kHGiOSiST
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) March 17, 2024
The UFC’s Biggest Brazilian Star Won’t Make 301
We’ve touched on Brazilian UFC legends, but what’s the landscape of Brazil’s top-tier talent in 2024?
Well, that takes little thought: Alex Pereira, a two-division UFC champion and the recent star of UFC 300, successfully defended his light heavyweight strap via round one knockout of Jamahal Hill at the milestone event.
Easy day in the office for @AlexPereiraUFC 😮💨
He gets the first round TKO to retain his LHW belt! #UFC300 pic.twitter.com/7Qbx3xB7GE
— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2024
It’s incredibly difficult for fighters to compete in back-to-back pay-per-view events, as they’re often no more than four weeks apart. However, Pereira vouched that he’d make quick work of Hill at UFC 300 and return to his native country of Brazil for UFC 301. While the former came to fruition, unfortunately, a broken toe has prevented “Poatan” from making more history.
We’re certain that Pereira will be in attendance at UFC 301, but sadly, his countrypeople won’t have the opportunity to see him compete on the night. That said, with his desire to fight Tom Aspinall, Pereira could become the first three-division champion in UFC history and further cement Brazil as an unstoppable force in mixed martial arts.
The UFC 301 Main Event
Pereira, however, isn’t the only titleholder of Brazilian descent. While his absence from the Rio card will be felt, Alexandre Pantoja is a perfect headline replacement for the nation. He’ll make his second flyweight title defense since triumphantly defeating Brandon Moreno to become champion in July 2023.
Pantoja has wasted little time displaying his skills of late, and UFC 301 will mark his third championship fight in 10 months. His opponent, however, was quite the surprise announcement, as the MMA fan base is still confused by the UFC matchmaking.
Steve Erceg made his UFC debut in June 2023, and he’s collected a 3-0 record since. While his talents are glaringly obvious, receiving a title opportunity as a No.10-ranked fighter makes little sense. In fact, he’ll be the first fighter in UFC history to receive a championship opportunity in the #10 ranking position.
Advice from a fellow Aussie who has conquered Rio once before 🇧🇷🇦🇺@AlexVolkanovski chatting with Steve Erceg about his upcoming title shot at #UFC301! pic.twitter.com/zL6Er8AWEA
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) April 21, 2024
We previously discussed the UFC’s return to Australia. As the promotion is absent of an Australian champion, perhaps they’re hoping for Erceg to claim the gold and make a quick turnaround for the Perth event. However, there’s a valid argument against this stance, as it’s more valuable for the company that their fighters, in this case Pantoja, are successful when competing on home soil.
There’s a long list of fighters without scheduled bouts lined up ahead of Erceg in the rankings, so it’ll be interesting to hear Dana White’s response when questioned on the decision-making. Either way, it should be an entertaining scrap and, potentially, the biggest jump in rankings position ever, should Erceg manage to walk out of Rio victorious.
UFC 301 Full Schedule
The complete main card and preliminary bout order have yet to be confirmed, but this is what we have thus far, per Tapology (the Bout order is subject to change). I’ve also specified the Brazilian national fighters in brackets.
UFC 301 Main Card:
- Alexandre Pantoja (Brazilian) vs. Steven Erceg – UFC Flyweight Title Main Event
- Jonathan Martinez vs. Jose Aldo (Brazilian) – UFC Bantamweight Co-Main Event
- Paul Craig vs. Caio Borralho (Brazilian) – UFC Middleweight Bout
- Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino (Brazilian) – Light Heavyweight Bout
UFC 301 Preliminary Card:
- Michel Pereira (Brazilian) vs. Ihor Potieria – UFC Middleweight Bout
- Joaquim Silva (Brazilian) vs. Drakkar Klose – UFC Lightweight Bout
- Alessandro Costa (Brazilian) vs. Kevin Borjas – UFC Flyweight Bout
- Dione Barbosa (Brazilian) vs. Ernesta Kareckaite – UFC Women’s Flyweight Bout
- Joanderson Brito (Brazilian) vs. Jack Shore – UFC Featherweight Bout
UFC 301 Early Prelims:
- Elvis Brener (Brazilian) vs. Myktybek Orolbai – UFC Welterweight Bout
- Jean Silva (Brazilian) vs. William Gomis – UFC Featherweight Bout
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Iasmin Lucindo (Brazilian) – UFC Strawweight Bout
- Mauricio Ruffy (Brazilian) vs. Jamie Mullarkey – UFC Welterweight Bout
- Ismael Bonfim (Brazilian) vs. Vinc Pichel – UFC Lightweight Bout
