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Welcome to “The Pressure List,” where MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn examines which fighters are drawing the most attention and key bouts at UFC's numbered events.
The series resumes ahead of UFC 303 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a light heavyweight championship main event between Alex Pereira (10-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Jiri Prochazka (30-4-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) as well as many other anticipated bouts.
Everyone who steps into the Octagon is fighting for something, but these five people feel the most pressure to get the job done.
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Five
Michael Page
Michael Page has been making big claims since signing with UFC and enjoying a successful debut against Kevin Holland in March, but he needs to back them up with a win against Ian Machado-Garry.
“Venom” has proven he belongs in the Octagon with a win over a tough Dutch opponent, but his dreams are much bigger. Page (22-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has said that if he wins this weekend, he'll face former champion Kamaru Usman, and if both fighters continue to win, he predicts a mega-fight with current welterweight titleholder Leon Edwards in a stadium in the UK.
All of these ideas sound great, but none of them will come to fruition unless he beats Garry, and does so in entertaining fashion. The 37-year-old “MVP” won't have many chances to erase his losses at UFC. This is his best chance to capitalize on the interest and excitement surrounding his name as a UFC rookie and rise to the top, so he needs to get it done.
Four
Brian Ortega
Initially, I had Brian Ortega high on this list for his scheduled co-main event showdown with Diego Lopez 17 days ago, but after a recent interview with “T-City,” my perspective on what this bout means for his career has changed somewhat.
Ortega (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) said he had already embraced a move to lightweight prior to this short notice opportunity, and also explained why he plans to move up a weight class from his longtime home at featherweight, so he doesn't feel the fight will be as impactful.
Either way, Ortega's status at 145 pounds makes no sense if he's looking to get a fresh start. Of course, it's better to carry the momentum of a win into a new weight class than a loss, but he initially seemed like he was taking a risk facing Lopez, who is ranked much lower, which could end any title hopes at that weight class forever.
Ortega seems convinced that his title hopes are already over, so the situation isn't too stressful for him.
3
Alex Pereira
Why isn't current and defending champion Alex Pereira at number one on this list, given that he is challenging for the belt against an opponent he has already beaten in a very short period of time? Let me explain.
I'd be very surprised if Pereira (10-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) were committed to a three-fight spurt with Prochazka under these circumstances and the results didn't go his way. With the UFC not sanctioning Magomed Ankalaev a title fight and Jamahal Hill potentially out for a while with an injury, there's not much else interesting going on in the division.
Considering Pereira was in Australia for a seminar and vacation when he got the call, and his toe was still hurting from his UFC 300 main event win, Pereira has plenty of excuses if the fight doesn't go his way.
The Brazilian is so beloved that it's hard to imagine the MMA community turning their back on him if he were to use such an excuse to his advantage after a potential defeat.
2
Ian Machado Garry
Similar to what was said above about his opponent Page, Ian Machado-Garry's words leading up to fight day place a huge burden on his shoulders to deliver the victory.
Garry (14-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) will not hesitate for a second to say he has no intention of fighting “MVP.” He wanted a higher-ranked opponent and only ended up on the same card as his idol, Conor McGregor. We all know that's not going to happen again, so it's fair to wonder what Garry's motivation is.
Additionally, Garry has completely written off Paige as a threatening opponent, stating time and time again that Paige is not on his same level skill-wise and promising to put on a one-sided, devastating performance if and when she steps into the cage.
Given the amount of big talk he has made, including in an interview a few days ago, there will be some dissatisfaction among fans if he doesn't deliver on his promises, and if Garry loses this match the backlash against the outspoken Irishman for giving up his unbeaten record will reach a fever pitch.
1
Jiri Prochazka
Usually, when it comes to a title fight, the champion feels more pressure than the challenger, but in my opinion, that is not the case for Jiri Prochazka going into his rematch with Pereira.
We noted above that Pereira has a few excuses for the loss, and Prochazka (30-4-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has very few excuses to take advantage of this situation, despite how sudden it is.
According to Prochaska, he agreed to the rematch and began mentally preparing about a week before Pereira accepted. The former titleholder considers himself a samurai and a true warrior, and said his philosophy is to always stay in good shape and ready for an opportunity like this.
My overall impression is that Prochazka is better prepared for this fight, so a loss wouldn't be good for him. Going 0-2 against Pereira would essentially eliminate his chances of a title shot unless Pereira is no longer the champion. That's a scary situation to be in.
For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC 303 event hub.
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