Imperious Pereira knocks out Prochazka to retain belt

Alex Pereira continued his imperious reign arsenic champion arsenic he knocked retired Jiri Prochazka to clasp his light-heavyweight title astatine UFC 303 successful Las Vegas.

Brazil's Pereira, 36, floored Czech combatant Prochazka, 31, pinch a near high-kick successful nan 2nd round, stunning nan sold-out crowd wrong nan T-Mobile Arena.

It was Pereira's 2nd triumph complete Prochazka aft stopping him successful information 2 of their conflict successful November to triumph nan light-heavyweight title.

The erstwhile middleweight champion has won 2 titles and made 2 defences successful conscionable 9 fights since his UFC debut successful November 2021 successful 1 of nan astir singular runs successful nan promotion's history.

"I've been saying each week I was going to beryllium victorious. I didn’t opportunity really I was going to win, but I knew I was going to time off nan octagon happy," said Pereira.

Earlier successful nan night, Ireland's Ian Machado Garry hit Britain's Michael 'Venom' Page by unanimous determination to widen nan unbeaten commencement to his profession to 15.

Machado Garry, 26, sewage nan amended of nan grappling exchanges pinch 37-year-old Page, who suffered his first UFC conclusion pursuing a winning debut successful March.

Pereira and Prochazka stepped successful astatine short announcement to conflict aft Conor McGregor pulled retired of his headlining bout pinch Michael Chandler earlier this period with a surgery toe.

The arena marked nan 2nd clip successful 3 months that Pereira had topped a large arena aft headlining nan landmark UFC 300 successful March.

Pereira knocked retired Jamahal Hill that nighttime to clasp his title, mounting up nan rematch pinch Prochazka, who had stopped Aleksandar Rakic connected nan aforesaid evening.

In McGregor's absence, nan UFC broadcast squad described Pereira arsenic nan "biggest prima successful mixed martial arts today" and nan Brazilian's capacity lived up to nan billing.

Before nan combatant introductions, nan stoic, motionless brace locked eyes for a number of minutes, mirroring nan aggravated staredown earlier their brushwood successful November.

Pereira opened nan conflict pinch limb kicks earlier landing a near hook and jab connected Prochazka, whose champion infinitesimal of nan conflict came arsenic he initiated a clinch.

The defining infinitesimal of nan opening 5 minutes came correct astatine nan extremity of nan information arsenic Pereira's thunderous near hook dropped Prochazka, pinch nan doorbell preventing immoderate follow-up.

The Czech's area squad could beryllium seen putting crystal connected his caput to effort to sharpen his senses, but it was successful vain arsenic conscionable 13 seconds into nan 2nd information Pereira delivered his fight-ending kick.

After nan bout, he hinted astatine a move to heavyweight and an effort to go nan first three-division champion successful UFC history.

"I deliberation that’s successful my future. There doesn’t look to beryllium excessively overmuch liking from nan organisation but I’m here, I deliberation it’s successful my future," said Pereira.

"I deliberation nan fans person a batch of opportunity successful this. In nan extremity these are nan group who salary for this. If this is what they want, it’s going to beryllium inevitable."

Machado Garry said he felt responsible for putting connected a show for nan Irish fans successful McGregor's absence, adding that he had "no problem base that burden".

He has earned comparisons to erstwhile double champion McGregor complete nan years, pinch his unbeaten emergence to 7 successful nan UFC welterweight rankings providing Irish fans pinch dream he tin beryllium nan country's first champion successful six years.

In Page, however, Machado Garry was facing 1 of nan astir vulnerable strikers connected nan roster, pinch nan Briton's in-and-out kickboxing style helping to supply a number of item moments during his clip successful Bellator.

Page made a winning commencement against Kevin Holland connected his UFC debut successful March, but faced a much consenting grappler successful Machado Garry.

The Irishman dominated early, catching a footwear and taking nan conflict to nan ground, earlier searching for a rear-naked choke that was good defended by Page until nan extremity of nan round.

Page had his champion moments successful nan 2nd round, landing a left-right operation that brought a wry grin from Machado Garry positive an overhand right.

But Machado Garry would utilise his grappling erstwhile again successful nan last 5 minutes, and contempt doing small harm and failing to get a submission, his clip successful power was capable to unafraid nan win.

"I want everyone to cognize I'm coming for that title. I'm 15-0, undefeated, unstoppable," said Machado Garry.

"I don't attraction who's next, wherever it is, I'm going to beryllium a world champion, nan early is inevitable."