(Image via Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)
UFC 301, the 15th UFC event to date in 2024, will begin in Brazil. Saturday night's flyweight title bout will be headlined by Alexandre Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and Steve Arseg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). Pantoja is looking for his second successful title defense after defeating Brandon Roybal at UFC 296 in Las Vegas in December.
Meanwhile, Erceg's rapid rise to stardom is noteworthy. That's because he has won 12 of his first 13 fights and has been clean since signing with the UFC in June 2023. Even though he is not a so-called popular fighter, he was not a so-called popular choice to get the next crack at winning the gold medal The UFC went with the first fight, where Erceg rides into so-called enemy territory.
Regardless of whether Erceg wins or loses, his name will be remembered by MMA fans considering his career is only just beginning.
Erceg joins a short list of fighters who have won titles early in their UFC careers, including Brock Lesnar, Alex Pereira and Liz Carmouche, to name a few.
read more: UFC 301: Alexandre Pantoja gives Steve Arceg a title shot inspired by the movie 'Rocky'
The co-main event features the return of local icon Jose Aldo (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC). After a brief hiatus and mini-retirement from MMA, he returns to the UFC to face Jonathan Martinez (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC). Aldo is a former UFC featherweight champion, while Martinez quickly rose to the top with six straight wins at bantamweight.
The rest of the card is by no means top-heavy, but there are some interesting names to keep an eye on who could possibly be future title challengers, contenders, or even champions for that matter.
Without further ado, here's everything you need to know ahead of UFC 301, the first of the promotion's three-straight card in May.
read more: UFC 301 Card: Pantoja vs. Erceg, Aldo vs. Martinez Predictions
Who's on the lineup for UFC 301? What are the current betting odds?
Check out the match order and betting odds below, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. This morning, the William Gomis vs. Gian Silva fight was canceled after the weigh-ins due to Gomis' dangerous weight cut, despite hitting the featherweight limit at 143 pounds, two pounds under, and the card was canceled. I was hurt by being late.
Although the Gomis-Silva fight was canceled, the card will still feature 13 fights as all 26 fighters successfully weighed in prior to the tournament.
Main Card (Starts at 10pm ET, ESPN+ PPV)
• main event: Flyweight Championship:(C.) Alexandre Pantoja (-185) vs. Steve Erceg (+154) – 5 rounds
• Sub-main event: Bantamweight: Jose Aldo (+120) vs. Jonathan Martinez (-142)
• Light Heavyweight: Anthony Smith (+425) vs. Vitor Petrino (-575)
• Middleweight: Michel Pereira (-625) vs. Ihor Potieria (+455)
• Middleweight: Paul Craig (+455) vs. Caio Boralho (-625)
Qualifying (Starts at 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+)
• Featherweight: JoAnderson Brito (+154) vs. Jack Shore (-185)
• Women's Strawweight: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (+320) vs. Yasmin Lucindo (-410)
• Lightweight: Elf Brenner (+210 vs. Miktibek Olorubai (-258))
• Lightweight: Joaquin Silva (+164) vs. Drucker Klose (-198)
Early Qualifiers (Starts at 6pm ET, ESPN+)
• Lightweight: Mauricio Ruffy (-218) vs. Jamie Malarkey (+180)
• Women's flyweight: Dione Barbosa (-238) vs. Ernesta Calekite (+195)
• Lightweight: Ismael Bonfim (-550) vs. Vink Patchel (+410)
• Flyweight: Alessandro Costa (-122) vs. Kevin Borjas (+102)
*Odds are as of the time of publication and are subject to change. Please gamble responsibly.
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