Alex Pereira retained his UFC light heavyweight title on Saturday in Las Vegas at UFC 303. The Brazilian dominated Czech Jiri Prochazka by referee stoppage early in the second round.
With a kick to the head, Pereira sent his opponent to the ground, before he threw a series of punches and the referee intervened. Prochazka struggled to get up and then had to be supported by the referee and medical staff.
The fight was a rematch of the previous confrontation between the two men. Last November in New York at UFC 295, Alex Pereira had already defeated Jiri Prochazka by referee stoppage, to seize the vacant -93 kg belt. He then defeated the former champion Jamahal Hill in April at UFC 300. Aged 36, a former kickboxing champion, the Brazilian now has 11 wins (against two losses) to his name in MMA.
Chiasson victorious by referee’s decision
Among other results on the evening’s main card, in featherweight, Diego Lopes, another Brazilian, won against American Dan Ige on points by unanimous decision. Also in light heavyweight, Georgian Roman Dolidze defeated Anthony Smith, another American, again on points and by unanimous decision.
In welterweight, Irishman Ian Machado Garry won against Englishman Michael Page on points and by unanimous decision. American Macy Chiasson defeated Brazilian Mayra Bueno Silva by referee stoppage in the second round, in a bantamweight fight.
Finally, the Frenchman Yanis Ghemmouri, already defeated by his compatriot William Gomis at UFC Paris 2 last September, was soundly beaten in 19 seconds by the new prodigy of the discipline Payton Talbott, in the bantamweight division.
