A wise man by the name of Elton John once said ‘Saturday Night’s alright for ‘Fightin’ and that rings true this weekend. UFC 301 takes place in Rio De Janeiro and features a stacked card that features a main event of Alexandre Pantoja taking on Steve Erceg for the Flyweight title. Here’s all you need to know about the event.
How to watch UFC 301
Where: Farmasi Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
When: Saturday May 4th | Early prelims 6PM EST, Prelims 8PM EST, Main card 10PM EST
How: ESPN+
UFC 301 Main card Betting Odds
Alexander Pantoja (-192) vs Steve Erceg (+160)
Jonathan Martinez (-155) vs Jose Aldo (+130)
Anthony Smith (+410) vs Vitor Petrino (-550)
Michael Pereira (-600) vs Ivor Potieria (+440)
Paul Craig (+425) vs Caio Borralho (-575)
Jack Shore (+140) vs Joanderson Brito (-166)
Alexander Pantoja vs Steve Erceg
This is the fight with the most intrigue. Pantoja is the defending champion and fighting in front of a hometown crowd in Rio de Janeiro. He comes into the event with a 27-5 record having most recently defended his title back in December.
As for his opponent, Erceg sits at 12-1 having burst onto the UFC scene with some impressive wins over the likes of Matt Schneps and David Dvorak.
The fans will undoubtedly want to see their hometown hero retain, but the last time the UFC was in Rio ended in heartbreak, with both Brazilians fighting dropping their belts. Erceg will he looking to keep that run going with a big win here.
Jonathan Martinez vs Jose Aldo
Would it be a UFC event in Brazil without one of the best to ever do it? Jose Aldo hasn’t stepped foot inside the Octogon since 2022, but the 37-year-old still maintains a 31-8 record and is 3-1 in his last 4 fights.
Across from the Wiley veteran will be Jonathan Martinez, sporting a 19-4 record and a six-fight winning streak. Renowned for his heavy hands and shattering kicks, Martinez has garnered a real reputation as a danger in the division. The 29-year-old will be riding a wave of confidence and that will count for a lot against a name as notable as Aldo.
Aldo has been out of action for a while and it’s easy to give the advantage to a surging Martinez here.
Best UFC 301 betting promos:
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AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
