Following the collapse of the planned main event for UFC 303 this weekend featuring Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, a new main event has been announced, and this time, it would be a title fight. Alex Pereira would defend his light heavyweight title when he meets Jiri Prochazka for the second time. 

The two met earlier at UFC 295 last November when Pereira delivered a technical knockout to claim the vacant light heavyweight title. Now, there is something at stake for both of them. 

Pereira (10-2-0) has not spent a year in the light heavyweight division but has won three of his fights already. He made the move after losing the middleweight title to Israel Adesanya, who he defeated months earlier to win the title. So far, he’s had one successful title defense as a light heavyweight champion and looks ready to keep the title for some time.

In the case of Prochazka (30-4-1), he’s a former champion seeking to hold the title once again. The 31-year-old won the light heavyweight title, then vacant, back in 2022. His reign as champion did not last, and a shoulder injury forced him to vacate the title. His fixture with Pereira last November was to regain the title, but he lost, surprisingly. Now, he has the opportunity to redo things and become a two-time light heavyweight champion. So, how would that go?

Prochazka is clearly the experienced fighter between the two, with a record stretching back over a decade ago. He’s held similar titles in other franchises, which is what made his loss to Pereira, a newcomer in the division with less MMA fights overall, all the more surprising. But it may just be that he was caught at a bad time, which is something that happens to the best.

Still, Pereira’s fast rise is not out of sheer luck, and this is evident by the number of KOs and TKOs in his record, as well as some of names of fighters that he has defeated. That is why this is one of the best fixtures we’ve seen this year, so far. 

The good news is the outcome of the fight would be known this weekend.