Combat Sports Today: UFC 301 or Canelo PPV? Alex Perez's Ceiling, Plus Another Bad Boxing Non-Stoppage

Here are all the latest headlines to close out the month of April.

Sep 17, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Canelo Alvarez (red trunks) and Gennadiy Golovkin (white / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Happy Cinco de Mayo week to those who celebrate. After a light combat sports week to close out the month of April, the calendar will shortly shift to May and the extravaganza that is the UFC and boxing pay-per-view schedule.

Last week on Combat Sports Today, I reviewed Ryan Garcia's upset against Devin Haney, Paul Hughes' signing with the PFL, and some outrageous UFC 303 ticket prices (which are only getting more expensive by the day).

In any event, and without further ado, let's dive right into the biggest headlines surrounding the first weekend in May, plus other goodies from Fresno, Calif., and UFC Vegas 91 that you may have missed while watching the NBA, NHL playoffs, or BKFC KnuckleMania 4.

MORE: Canelo vs. Munguia Start Time, Date, Betting Odds, PPV Price, and Fight Card

UFC 301 vs. Canelo's Annual Las Vegas Weekend

Fight fans will have a choice this weekend about where to spend their hard-earned money. From the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (60-2-2) will make his return to the ring in defense of his undisputed super middleweight title against the undefeated, young, and highly-touted Jaime Munguia (43-0), who gets his chance to shock the world in front of 20,000-plus.

This has become a semi-tradition for Alvarez, who traditionally hosts a fight to give back to his Hispanic heritage and allow his fans to celebrate his accomplishments as one of boxing's best.

However, in recent years, including 2024, Alvarez will be going up against a blockbuster UFC pay-per-view event, UFC 301.

That card is also headlined by a title fight, as the UFC flyweight strap will be on the line. In the main event from Brazil, fans will see hometown favorite Alexandre Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) attempt to successfully defend his belt for the second time against Steve Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). Erceg earned a title shot after a successful KO against Matt Schnell (16-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) in March, needing less than 30 seconds into Round 2 to earn the title shot clincher.

While the main event was not a popular choice by some in the MMA community, it was ultimately the hand the UFC was dealt.

With how top heavy UFC 298-UFC 300 were, along with the return of Conor McGregor this summer, it left the UFC few options to satisfy the Brazilian fateful. And, with that said, Pantoja became the headliner.

The event also features the return of former UFC featherweight champion José Aldo (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC), who is back in the Octagon for the first time since Dec. 2021 after a brief boxing stint. Aldo takes on Jonathan Martinez (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC), who has won six straight fights, which include wins against Cub Swanson (29-13 MMA, 14-9 UFC) and Adrian Yanez (16-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC).

The card also features a plethora of top-heavy talent and top-flight contenders, which are two aspects that, arguably, the Canelo pay-per-view may not be able to compete with.

Despite Canelo-Munguia potentially starting before Pantoja-Erceg, those who choose to purchase both ($79.99 USD for UFC and $89.99 USD for Canelo-Munguia for PBC on Amazon Prime/DAZN) will run into issues. For one, both fights will be on two separate streaming services that will require subscriptions and the ability to be flipped between or watched simultaneously on two screens.

Easier said than done, unless a commercial establishment, theater or bar can carry both, it's likely the consumer will have to pick.

Weighing the pros and cons, opinions will differ, but the facts remain. The UFC puts on 44 shows per year, while boxing, based on public opinion and categorization, does maybe half that amount, if not a quarter, when it comes to marquee fights.

Also into consideration that Alvarez, 33, fights twice a year, making him a rare attraction to watch live or purchase at home, which may lead those to sway in boxing's direction. The same can be said for diehard MMA fans who shell out the same amount per month for UFC. It's a two-way street.

To conclude, the better value, despite the price point being awfully similar, is UFC 301. It's a better undercard with more recognizable names than boxing, and, it has portions where if someone needs to divert to Canelo-Munguia, they can without missing anything significant.

Regardless, spend your money wisely. The UFC event begins a 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, while boxing action gets underway at 8 p.m.ET/5 p.m. PT.

Alex Perez's Title Shot Chances After UFC Vegas 91

Alex Perez (25-8 MMA, 7-4 UFC) earned a massive KO win in Saturday's main event against Matheus Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) to move one step closer to another shot at flyweight gold, which is a goal Perez has not reached since Nov. 2020. Since his loss to Deiveson Figueiredo (23-3-1 MMA, 12-3 UFC), Perez has lost two of his last three with many cancellations in between.

It's safe to assume Perez will need a few more wins to solidify himself, but as Erceg is currently finding out, anything is possible.

Boxing's Latest Blunder in Fresno

A brief sigh to long-time referee Jack Reese. Reese was assigned the DAZN main event between Jose Ramirez and Rances Barthelemy, a 12-round slugfest over the weekend. Except there was one problem – Ramirez should have won in Round 11 instead of continuing to fight and eventually go to the scorecards.

Reese, if a fighter turns away next time, as Barthelemy did with under a minute to go in the round, protect the fighter from himself and stop the fight.

Ramirez won a decision, 119-109, 119-109, 118-110, and said post-fight that it wasn't his most impressive outing but knows it will propel him to bigger opportunities moving forward.

What's Ahead in Combat Sports?

Stay tuned for continuous coverage leading up to UFC 301, including main card picks. For context, I went 8-5 on UFC Vegas 91, which brought my 2024 overall record to 93-80-3, finishing the month of April 25-13.

Stick with MMA Knockout for more daily coverage of the UFC, MMA, WWE, and AEW.

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