Alexandre Pantoja’s face was covered in blood by the end of UFC 301, but he’s still champion.
Fighting in his home country of the Brazil, Pantoja held off challenger Steve Erceg to retain the UFC flyweight belt with a unanimous decision win (48-47, 48-47, 49-46). Before that, Jose Aldo energized the crowd in the co-main event with a dominant win over Jonathan Martinez in his return from retirement.
Here’s how the entire card played out.
Live91 updates
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RESULT: Alexandre Pantoja def. Steve Erceg by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
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This fight will go to a decision. It looked like Pantoja pulled it out in the fifth round, but we’ll now go to the cards.
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Pantoja’s got another cut by his right eye.
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Erceg just got away with a fence grab as Pantoja tries to take him down.
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Round 4 should go for Erceg, with Pantoja still bleeding badly from his forehead. We’re in an interesting situation where Pantoja’s corner is telling him he’s won three rounds, but this fifth round seems likely to be the decider. Erceg’s corner is telling him not to sell out here.
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Both Pantoja and Erceg’s corners are telling their fighters that Pantoja has won all three rounds so far.
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10-9 Pantoja, but that badly damaging elbow may swing the round in the eyes of a judge.
29-28 Pantoja for me heading into the championship rounds.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) May 5, 2024
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Pantoja has a huge cut on his forehead from an elbow by Erceg. He’s bleeding all over the place.
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Erceg landed some big shots on Pantoja in the second round, enough to tie it up entering the third. He’s looking pretty legit.
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10-9 Pantoja, who looks a level above Erceg so far, however he is typically a fast starter with a tendency to slow down.
Great start for him thus far.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) May 5, 2024
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Alexandre Pantoja time. The UFC flyweight champion (-185) is taking on the 10th-ranked Steve Erceg (+150), an Australian who signed with the UFC less than a year ago. The little-known challenger is 3-0 with the promotion so far.
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Aldo, whose UFC contract is up, says he doesn’t want this to be his last fight, but needs to sit down with Dana White and figure out where to go from here.
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RESULT: Jose Aldo def. Jonathan Martinez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Congratulations to the legend Jose Aldo junior!!! True legend of the sport!!! #ufc301
— Renato Moicano UFC (@moicanoufc) May 5, 2024
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No words for how impressive that was by Aldo…none 🤯 #UFC301
— “Wonderboy” Thompson (@WonderboyMMA) May 5, 2024
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Round 3 ends with both Aldo and Martinez on the mat and wailing away at each other. They embrace after the bell.
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Aldo lookin like he never left
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) May 5, 2024
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20-18 Aldo, but a much tougher round to score than the first as Martinez did good work
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) May 5, 2024
UFC 301 main card (Start time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV)
All odds via BetMGM.
• Flyweight championship: Alexandre Pantoja def. Steve Erceg by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
• Bantamweight: Jose Aldo def. Jonathan Martinez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Light heavyweight: Anthony Smith def. Vitor Petrino by submission at 2:00 of R1:
• Middleweight: Michel Pereira def. Ihor Potieria by submission at 0:54 of R1
• Middleweight: Caio Borralho def. Paul Craig by KO at 2:10 of R2
UFC 301 prelims, odds (Live now on ESPN/ESPN+)
• Featherweight: Joanderson Brito def. Jack Shore by TKO at 3:35 of R2:
• Women’s strawweight: Iasmin Lucindo def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Lightweight: Myktybek Orolbai def. Elves Brener by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
• Lightweight: Drakkar Klose def. Joaquim Silva by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC 301 early prelims results, highlights
• Lightweight: Mauricio Ruffy def. Jamie Mullarkey by TKO (punches) at 4:42 of R1:
• Women’s flyweight: Dione Barbosa def. Ernesta Kareckaite by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Lightweight: Ismael Bonfim def. Vinc Pachel by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Flyweight: Alessandro Costa def. Kevin Borjas by TKO (strikes) at 1:35 of R2:
