UFC 303 Fight Ranking – With McGregor and Chandler out, who steps up?

The date of UFC 303 has been circled on many calendars for months. Even sports fans who rarely watch an evening of mixed martial arts have made plans to do so on June 29, if only for the pomp and spectacle. It was scheduled to be the next weekend Which is long awaited The return of Conor McGregor, the brightest star in the sport of mixed martial arts, is a crossover phenomenon familiar even to people who don’t know a front kick from a rear naked choke.

But at the beginning of this month, things went sideways. The UFC had scheduled a press conference on June 3 in McGregor’s hometown of Dublin to promote his rematch with Michael Chandler, then abruptly canceled the event that morning without explanation. For over a week, there was silence from promotion for the fight while fan speculation ran rampant about potential scenarios. Finally, on June 13, the UFC announced that McGregor was injured and would no longer headline UFC 303.

Fans of these extravaganzas were certainly inconsolable, but for hardcore MMA fans, there was a consolation prize: an upgraded main event.

Yes, it’s true that neither light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira nor his challenger, former champion Jiří Procházka, are in McGregor’s league in terms of fame or infamy. But McGregor, who is scheduled to fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this weekend, resembles an Elvis from his Vegas years, still basking in the adoration built upon his prowess and skill from a long era. By contrast, the new UFC 303 titles are at the top of their game. Pereira is probably the most “anytime, anywhere, anyone” fighter in the sport, as evidenced by his agreement to put his belt on the line against dangerous standout Procházka in two weeks. If there were BMF power rankings, Pereira would rank high on the list.

Before ruling the 205-pound weight class in the UFC, Pereira ruled at middleweight. Before that, he was a two-division world champion in kickboxing. This is quite an accomplishment for someone who has only had eight bouts in the octagon. How new is Pereira to the game? The man he will replace, McGregor, last fought in July 2021. Pereira didn’t make his UFC debut until four months after that.

Saturday’s revitalized main event is a rematch of last November’s fight in which Pereira won the belt. The contest was intense and swung both ways – mostly towards Prochazka, frankly – before Pereira landed a left hook counterpunch in the second round that was the beginning of the end. But speaking of beginnings: The most terrifying moment was during the pre-fight introductions, when the fighters stood in their corners staring at each other across the cage, none of them moving a muscle. If Pereira and Prochazka can bring that fearsome energy again on Saturday, we are in for a good match.

Many storylines will be on display at UFC 303. Below are the most interesting events, laid out in the form of questions that must be answered on fight night.

1. It’s the right fight, but is this the right time?

Light Heavyweight Championship: Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka 2

UFC CEO Dana White and right-hander Hunter Campbell have been praised for reviving this fight card after McGregor’s devastating withdrawal, and I’m not here to deny that the UFC brass responded heroically.

But although the alternate main event is impressive, I have an uneasy feeling about the timing. I prefer for fighters in a high-stakes match, such as a tournament, to have a full training camp to prepare. Two weeks is not enough time to be sure that both men will step into the cage at their best.

What eases my concerns a little is that these fighters only competed in the Octagon seven months ago. They are familiar with each other and know that this rematch will come one day. And in the event of a fight against Prochazka, does an extended camp ensure that one is prepared to face some kind of unpredictability, anyway? However, this is a rare case where MMA would be better off — for the level of competitiveness and ultimately fans — if it were more like boxing, which operates on fighters’ calendars, not promoters.

Having said all that, I’m willing to take Plan B from Class A all the way. Let’s go.

2. Will there be enough room in the cage to fit all the showmanship?

Welterweight: Ian Machado Gary vs. Michael “Venom” Page.

Battles appeal to us for a wide range of reasons. There are bouts where the shiny belt is on the line or there is an imminent shot at the belt up for grabs. There are fights in which we’re drawn to trash talk, as well as Justin Gaethje-style showdowns that don’t utter expletives, but merely promise all-out violence. Then there’s this rivalry straight out of a video game.

I like to think of the opening of the main card as setting the tone for what is to follow. And while I don’t expect anyone to fight on the pay-per-view card like Garry or MVP, I think those two will be impactful. Both men are creative and aggressive strikers, although they approach the art of stand-up from different angles. Both are attack-minded while remaining defensively sound. This suggests that this will be an action battle full of twists and turns, which is a tough act to follow.

If Jarry can turn his powerful leg kicks into a deciding factor, it could bode well for how Pereira approaches the main event.

3. Can we rely on this battle to signal the resumption of active duty?

Featherweight: Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopez

He plays

Diego Lopez stuns the crowd with another electric KO

Diego Lopez and his famous mullet stunned the Las Vegas crowd at UFC 300 with a ferocious flurry of punches that forced them to stop the fight.

Ortega has only competed five times since 2018, losing three of those fights. But his first two defeats came in UFC title challenges against Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. The other loss occurred due to injury, as Ortega dislocated his shoulder during a 2022 meeting with Yair Rodriguez and was unable to continue. After a year and a half of recovery, Ortega returned in February and choked out Rodriguez in a rematch.

So, the numbers don’t tell us the full story of Ortega’s recent career. But what about the five matches he played in nearly six years? This meeting with Lopez, a promising candidate who has won five of his last six matches, will serve as a barometer that should allow us to know whether T-City still resides in Contenderville.

4. Do you have any 205 pounds no Was he booked in this fight?

Light Heavyweight: Anthony Smith vs. Roman Dolidze

Flexibility is essential for an MMA fighter, and the same is true for an MMA matchmaker.

That trait was evident in the sleek replay of the main event, but this fight took the resilience and resolve of UFC executives to a whole new level. Originally, the co-main event at UFC 303 was scheduled to pit former lightweight champion Jamal Hill against Khalil Rountree Jr. A fight like this — contested between competitors in the same weight class as the main event — served as a safety net. A backup plan in case one of the headliners pulled out.

But the safety net was eroded when Rountree withdrew and was replaced by Carlos Ulberg. Then Hill withdrew too, and Smith was brought in to face Ulberg – until Ulberg withdrew and was replaced by Dolidz. This astonishing turn of events left the safety net in tatters.

This could be a fun snippet, but I’m hesitant to say too much about it because there are still several days before fight night. Who knows if the game of musical chairs is over?

5. What kind of presence would the non-existent man have?

Conor McGregor vs. Uncertain Future

He plays

Conor McGregor is looking to be in 100% physical condition before his next match

Conor McGregor explains his injury and details how he is preparing for his next fight in the UFC.

There’s no indication that McGregor will be present at UFC 303, but at the very least, his presence will be ghostly. That would be the case even if T-Mobile Arena video screens and UFC TV broadcasts didn’t indicate his absence or future. When McGregor’s withdrawal was announced two weeks ago, White barely mentioned him before quickly moving on to who He was Of course, the UFC CEO’s focus that day was on ticket sales and pay-per-views, and focusing on what fans won’t watch wouldn’t be a smart marketing strategy.

But if UFC 303 goes by without a word about the company’s biggest star, it could be interpreted as a premonition of what’s to come — or not to come — in a sport that lacks his star power. By Saturday night, when McGregor was scheduled to emerge to the splendor of “The Foggy Dew” whistle, he will instead be just 11 days shy of three years since his last fight. How long will it take for his fourth year of inactivity before he returns? will is back?

If I had to guess, McGregor will spend Saturday night with a pint of his guts in one hand and a tweeter in the other. He may be generous in his praise to some, and will likely have harsh things to say about others. But rest assured that this won’t be quite the UFC 303 headline night. Conor McGregor has never been one to shirk the spotlight.