Anthony Smith and Alex Pereira are stepping up to save UFC 303 next Saturday night, following a series of unexpected changes that have left fans eagerly anticipating their matchups.
Conor McGregor’s Return Delayed
Conor McGregor’s highly-anticipated return to the octagon was originally set for International Fight Week 2024, but an injury has sidelined “The Notorious,” preventing his bout against Michael Chandler. This has shifted the focus to a new main event: a light heavyweight title rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. Pereira defeated Prochazka to claim the championship at UFC 295 last November.
Contender Bout Shake-Up
The light heavyweight contender bout initially featured former champion Jamahal Hill against rising striker Khalil Rountree. However, Rountree tested positive for a banned substance, leading Carlos Ulberg to step in. Shortly after, Hill suffered an injury, paving the way for Anthony Smith to replace his teammate for the fight camp.
Smith and Pereira have exchanged competitive words over the years, prompting Smith’s podcast co-host, Michael Bisping, to suggest that a title fight could be in Smith’s future if both fighters win at UFC 303.
“I’m not really thinking about that. I’m just worried about Carlos Ulberg,” Smith said on his podcast, Believe You Me. “He’s a tall task. He’s really good at what he does. He’s young, he’s hungry, he’s got a big opportunity in front of him, and I got to remember that when these guys fight me, I’m their world title fight, and they’re trying to make a name off me, and I gotta make sure that doesn’t happen. If I cut a promo on Alex Pereira right afterward, that lines up.”
Smith’s Journey to UFC Gold
Smith previously challenged for UFC gold against Jon Jones at UFC 235 in March 2019, where he lost via unanimous decision. Despite the setback, “Lionheart” has remained a consistent force in the 205-pound division.
Alex Pereira has made a significant impact since joining the UFC, securing divisional titles at both middleweight and light heavyweight. Pereira’s most recent win was a first-round knockout over Hill at UFC 300, despite suffering from broken toes. Smith praised Pereira for his resilience and willingness to fight on short notice.
“What he’s doing is crazy,” Smith said. “I just can’t believe that he’s out on this tour in Australia, hanging out, letting his toes heal up, and he’s like, ‘Two weeks? Yeah. Let’s do it.’ Okay, I love that. I think it was very matchup-specific [why he took this fight]. Like, he probably wouldn’t have taken this fight with Magomed [Ankalaev] or — and I’m not trying to hype myself, but probably not with me just because there’s a different skill set. He’s already trained for Jiri one time before so he’s familiar with him. There’s not the stress and shock and awe of the unknown so he already knows what he’s getting himself into.”
Smith’s Focus on Ulberg
Smith, with a professional record of 38-19, is set to face Ulberg in his 58th professional fight. Smith recently rebounded from a loss to Rountree by defeating the previously undefeated Vitor Petrino with a first-round guillotine at UFC 301 in May.
Despite his aspirations for a title shot and a possible matchup with Pereira, Smith is not overlooking the challenge posed by Ulberg.
“He does mirror ‘Izzy’ (Israel Adesanya) in a lot of ways,” Smith noted. “The way that they defend, they lean back, they both counter really well. But I think you make it a full mixed martial arts fight and make him worry about the wrestling, the clinch, the grappling, and I got the gas to do that. We can fight everywhere and I’m gonna force him to do that. I’m confident that over 15 minutes he’s not gonna be able to stay at — first round, I think he’ll be really, really tough. I think he’ll defend takedowns well, he’ll manage the range really well. I think you just keep chipping away at him and I think we’ll get him out of there, but I feel really good about it.”
Smith’s determination and strategy highlight the depth of his preparation as he aims to secure a victory at UFC 303 and potentially position himself for another shot at UFC gold.
