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By Brett Okamoto, ESPN staff writer
Although the UFC 303 fight card was constantly changing until the very end, the organization managed to put together a pay-per-view event featuring some big names and up-and-coming talent.
In the main event, light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira defended his title against former champion Jiri Prochazka with a second-round knockout. Pereira previously defeated Prochazka by second-round knockout at UFC 295 in November. Pereira and Prochazka were brought in on short notice after the original main event, Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, was canceled due to McGregor breaking his toe.
The main event between Diego Lopez and Dan Ige was the talk of the night as Ige was substituted midway through the match. very Lopez, who made a last-minute appearance in Saturday's bout to replace Brian Ortega, who was forced to withdraw due to illness Saturday afternoon, defeated Ige by decision and continued his rise up the rankings.
With a lot of fighter change happening on this weekend's pay-per-views, what's next for some of the biggest names from UFC 303, as well as those who weren't on the final card? Let's take a look.
Alex Pereira, light heavyweight
Who's next?: Magomed Ankaraev
Honestly, it's hard to recommend anyone else. Pereira has wins over three of the top four contenders in the division, with the fifth-ranked contender, Aleksandar Rakic, just losing. Pereira has vowed to take the fight, and likes the fact that it's a matchup that fans think he's likely to lose. Pereira and Glover Teixeira's camp hope to silence the naysayers by showcasing his improved grappling. The question is whether Ankalaev will be available. He hasn't fought since January and has only fought twice in the past two years. Depending on that, he's the clear choice for the next fight.
Wildcard: Khalil Rowntree Jr.
Rountree was originally scheduled to face Jamahal Hill at UFC 303, but was pulled from the bout after he was suspended for two months for self-reporting that he had taken supplements containing banned substances. Of course, a doping violation is not a good development, but in terms of bad faith, this is on the lighter side. His style makes him a home run matchup for Pereira. He is a big underdog, but there are few challengers in the division and Pereira prefers to remain the reigning champion. Whether he is the next champion or not, it won't be long before Rountree gets a title shot. There will be plenty of opportunities in this division and he is well positioned to get them.
Diego Lopez, featherweight
Who's next?: Alexander Volkanovski
I wouldn't be recommending this fight if Volkanovski wasn't so keen to fight as much as possible. Volkanovski is arguably the best featherweight of all time. He deserves to fight Ilya Topuria next and reclaim his 145-pound belt. But this guy is definitely not going to wait. He wants a fight sooner than later and has hinted at the idea of fighting at lightweight while he waits for a featherweight fight with Topuria or Max Holloway. If he wants to fight that badly, I'd be rooting for him to face Lopez. It's a big jump for Lopez, but this sport is about striking while the iron is hot, and Lopez is in great form. Lopez has had three first-round finishes in his last three fights coming into this fight, and then he faced Ortega at 145, Ortega at 155, and Ige at 165. These are the things that UFC rewards. The sport is open to fights like this.
Wildcard: Winner of UFC 304 Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze
Allen vs. Chikadze will take place on July 27th in Manchester, England. This is a big fight for the division, not to mention an interesting one stylistically. Regardless of who wins, both fighters still have work to do to get a shot at a title. They may not want to face a lower ranked fighter initially, but a fight with Lopez could be huge considering his rising reputation. The winner of this bout against Lopez could determine a future title shot.
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Dan Ige and Diego Lopez will compete in a hastily-scheduled co-main event by decision
Dan Ige and Diego Lopez will battle it out over three rounds in the co-main event of UFC 303.
Ian Machado Garry, welterweight
Who's next?: Colby Covington
I understand Covington is not interested in this fight, but at some point it will be hard to say no. Machado-Garry was already ranked 7th going into this fight. He is undefeated in UFC and has won 8 straight. I don't know what other options Covington has. He says he only wants big fights with big names, and that's not wrong, but his fight against Leon Edwards was probably the worst performance of his career. I'm a little surprised that Machado-Garry wants this fight so much, because it's likely to be an ugly fight week between these two and I don't think Machado-Garry actually enjoys that kind of negative energy. But it will add a big name to his hit list. It would be great if UFC made it a 5-round main event. How about in Dublin?
Wildcard: Shavkat Rahmonov
These two have been training together in South Florida and will likely meet if it comes down to it. Both are undefeated and considered future title contenders. Either way, they will likely fight and that could be next. But first, let's focus on the Covington fight.
Michael Chandler, lightweight
Who's next?: Justin Gaethje
At this point, it doesn't look like Conor McGregor will fight again. that He never bought into the idea of fighting Chandler in the first place. I don't see the prospect of him returning to a fight he's not interested in anyway after such a long break. Chandler has been hanging on for some time. There was no good option for him to pass up while we wait for McGregor, but waiting any longer is risky. I know it will be some time before Gaethje returns. I'll let Chandler wait a few more months to see what happens with McGregor, and if nothing is in the cards, I'll pursue a fight with Gaethje. Gaethje did the company a favor by being the number one contender at UFC 300, but he ended up falling down the rankings. To reward him for the risk, let's put him against Chandler and call it a number one contender fight.
Wildcard: McGregor
The other option is to wait for McGregor, but at this point that feels more like a uncertainty than a guarantee that will happen.
Conor McGregor, Welterweight
Who's next?: Michael Chandler
If he fights Chandler, that's the fight for him. Plain and simple. First, it's the right thing to do, but more than that, it's a fight that UFC has invested in. The only other choice is…
Wildcard: Max Holloway
Holloway is so overweight at the moment that this fight would be a blockbuster, judging by his performance at UFC 300. But Holloway will probably move back down to 145 pounds, and even if he stays at 155, he probably won't (and shouldn't) move back to 170, and McGregor probably won't be moving back down to 155 anytime soon.
