MMA Knockout

UFC 303 News: Sizzle Promo Featuring Alex Pereira, Jiří Procházka Unveiled

New promotion for UFC 303 has already begun.

Zain Bando

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira celebrates after defeating Jamahal Hill (not pictured) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena.
Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira celebrates after defeating Jamahal Hill (not pictured) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

A chaotic week for the UFC finally ended when it was announced Thursday night that UFC 303, scheduled for June 29 in Las Vegas, Nev., had its main and co-main event changed on two weeks' notice.

Instead of the return of Conor McGregor to the Octagon in what would have been his first appearance in nearly three years, in steps the UFC light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, opposite his old foe Jiří Procházka, in a rematch. The pair will compete in the main event, while the co-main event sees Brian Ortega take on Diego Lopes.

The promo was unveiled during the UFC Vegas 93 broadcast Saturday night, which took place at the UFC APEX. The branding was nearly identical to the version that was released ahead of the originally planned McGregor-Chandler fight, which, at press time, does not have a rescheduled date or location.

The 30-second promo can be seen below, courtesy of the UFC's 'X' page.

UFC 303 Main Event Booked Amid Quick Turnaround

Although the UFC's business continues to shift and change, both Pereira and Procházka are making quick turnarounds of their own. Both competed at UFC 300 in April, which saw Pereira successfully defend his light heavyweight title with a KO against Jamahal Hill, while Procházka dispatched Alexander Rakic with a devastating finish himself.

With how hot potato the light heavyweight division has been since Jan. 2023, the top of the rankings finally have some new life and a newly-minted champion, making the booking that much more fitting amidst the chaos it may have initially brought.

At press time, UFC 303 will proceed with a relatively similar card as its original, with the biggest change impacting its main attraction.

Fans React to Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler Being Pulled from UFC 303 Card

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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