MMA News

Author: Mike Reichlin

  • UFC 303 Gallery: Photos From The International Fight Week PPV At Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena

    UFC 303 took place on Saturday, June 29, and MMA News has you covered with all the best photos.

    After staging its previous numbered event in Newark, New Jersey, to kick off this month, the mixed martial arts leader concluded its June schedule with a return to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Headlining this year’s edition of International Fight Week was reigning light heavyweight kingpin Alex Pereira, who found himself defending the belt for the second time in 2024 on short notice following the cancellation of Conor McGregor’s long-awaited comeback.

    To add another memorable result to his ever-growing legacy on MMA’s biggest stage, “Poatan” repeated his feat from last November by getting the better of former champion Jiří Procházka once again.

    Elsewhere on the main card, former title challengers Anthony Smith, and Mayra Bueno Silva returned to action unsuccessfully, while undefeated welterweight Ian Garry extended his perfect record at the expense of striking specialist Michael “Venom” Page.

    With that in mind, see below for the best photos from UFC 303.

    (Photos by Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)

    UFC 303: Ricky Simón vs. Vinicius Oliveira

    UFC 303: Rei Tsuruya vs. Carlos Hernandez

    UFC 303: Andrei Arlovski vs. Martin Buday

    UFC 303: Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs. Gillian Robertson

    UFC 303: Payton Talbott vs. Yanis Ghemmouri

    UFC 303: Charles Jourdain vs. Jean Silva

    UFC 303: Andre Fili vs. Cub Swanson

    UFC 303: Joe Pyfer vs. Marc-André Barriault

    UFC 303: Ian Garry vs. Michael Page

    UFC 303: Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson

    UFC 303: Anthony Smith vs. Roman Dolidze

    UFC 303: Dan Ige vs. Diego Lopes

    UFC 303: Alex Pereira vs. Jiří Procházka

  • Jiří Procházka Gives Honest Take On Loss To Alex Pereira In First Post-UFC 303 Statement: ‘I Need To Evolve Or Don’t Fight Again’

    Jiří Procházka was hailed as a warrior just as much as Alex Pereira was when the two stepped up on just a couple of weeks’ notice to meet in the light heavyweight championship main event of UFC 303.

    Unfortunately for Procházka, the fight did not go his way. After rocking him in the last moments of the first round, Pereira landed a head kick that sent “BJP” crashing to the mat.

    In his first statement since the loss, coming via a June 30 social media post, Procházka gave a brutally honest assessment about the fight and his performance.

    Jiří Procházka Questions Fighting Future After Falling Short To Alex Pereira Again

    “Thank you for all your support. Thanks to you, Alex, for the fight,” Procházka said. “Only one thing goes through my mind: I need to evolve to the next level, or don’t fight again. It’s real simple. To be the strongest, this is the way.”

    Pereira and Procházka had met in the main event of UFC 295 in November, with “Poatan” also winning via a second-round finish there. That finish had been questionable in nature, though Procházka went on to say in a post-fight interview that he was out.

    Both men subsequently competed at UFC 300 in April, with Pereira stopping Jamahal Hill to retain the title and Procházka finishing Aleksandar Rakić.

    Procházka, the former UFC and RIZIN light heavyweight champion, is now 4-2 in the Octagon since his arrival to the UFC in 2021. “BJP” defeated Glover Teixeira to become UFC champion at UFC 275 in June 2022, but he was forced to give up the gold later in the year due to a shoulder injury. 

  • UFC 303 Defeat To Mark Andrei Arlovski’s Final UFC Fight, Expected To Continue Career Elsewhere

    UFC 303 saw one longtime name in the sport retire when Michelle Waterson-Gomez laid down her gloves following her loss to Gillian Robertson. She will not be the only familiar name leaving following last night’s card, however.

    Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, who lost to Martin Buday via split decision in the fight preceding Waterson-Gomez’s, is expected to not return to the promotion.

    UFC CEO Dana White stated at the UFC 303 post-fight press conference that the event marked Arlovski’s last fight. Ariel Helwani later followed up with clarification that Arlovski’s contract expired, but he is expected to continue on with his fighting career.

    The loss to Buday marked Arlovski’s fourth straight, having gone winless since a split decision over Jake Collier in April 2022.

    Andrei Arlovski’s UFC Contract Expired, Expected To Continue Career Away From The Octagon

    Arlovski’s professional MMA career dates back to 1999, with Arlovski joining the UFC before the end of 2000. Arlovski’s promotional debut came with a submission win over Aaron Brink at UFC 28.

    Arlovski defeated Tim Sylvia at UFC 51 to become interim UFC heavyweight champion — the first time an interim heavyweight title was awarded in the UFC. When Frank Mir struggled to come back from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, Arlovski was elevated to undisputed champion on Aug. 12, 2005.

    Arlovski dropped the heavyweight title to Sylvia at UFC 59 and lost the rubber match at UFC 61.

    Arlovski won three more fights after that but then left the UFC in 2008, going on to compete in promotions like Affliction, EliteXC, Strikeforce, and World Series of Fighting.

    Arlovski returned to the UFC in 2014, defeating Brendan Schaub via split decision in his at UFC 174. Arlovski won four straight after making his way back to the Octagon before dropping five in a row.

    Arlovski continued to have ups and downs in his second stint with the UFC before a four-fight win streak that ended with the victory over Collier.