Two years on: Pereira KOs Prochazka again to retain light heavyweight title at UFC 303

Alex Pereira silenced any remaining doubters on June 29, knocking out Jiří Procházka for the second time in two years to retain the UFC light heavyweight championship in the main event of UFC 303 in Las Vegas.

Pereira, who carries a 13-4 record and holds the light heavyweight title, has now stopped Procházka twice inside the cage. The Brazilian stands six-foot-four with a 79-inch reach and is one of the most prolific strikers in the division, averaging 5.16 significant strikes per minute at a remarkable 62 percent accuracy. At 38 years old and fighting out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness, the man known as "Poatan" continues to prove that elite striking at the highest level has no expiration date.

The co-main event told a different kind of story. Dan Ige stepped in on short notice and pushed seventh-ranked featherweight Diego Lopes to the limit. Lopes, a 31-year-old Brazilian with a 28-8 record, is a well-rounded threat who averages 1.4 submission attempts per 15 minutes — among the higher rates in the division — and lands 3.83 significant strikes per minute. Ige, a 34-year-old Hawaiian fighting out of Xtreme Couture, carries a 19-11 record and brings his own striking output of 3.6 significant strikes per minute into every fight. Standing just five-foot-seven with a 71-inch reach, he was undersized against the taller Lopes but made the most of a short-notice assignment.

Why it matters

• Pereira's second finish of Procházka cements his dominance at 205 pounds and complicates the division's title picture heading into the back half of 2026.
• A ranked victory for Lopes at No. 7 in featherweight could push him further into title contention.
• Ige's willingness to accept a short-notice slot against a ranked opponent keeps his name relevant at 145 pounds despite the tough assignment.