Last night’s UFC 301 event took place at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The main event featured Alexandre Pantoja successfully defending his Flyweight title with a unanimous decision win over Steve Erceg. In the co-main event, Jose Aldo showed he still has plenty left in the tank, cruising to a dominant unanimous decision win over Jonathan Martinez in a Bantamweight matchup.
Alexandre Pantoja: Next Opponent
Pantoja’s next opponent could be either Amir Albazi or Muhammad Mokaev. Albazi, ranked No. 3, has won six fights in a row, five of them in the UFC, and was slated to fight Brandon Moreno before a neck injury forced him out. Mokaev, on the other hand, is unbeaten at 12-0-1 with six UFC wins. However, because Albazi holds a higher ranking, he might be the next logical challenge for Pantoja.
Jose Aldo: Next Opponent
Aldo’s return to the Octagon after a two-year hiatus was nothing short of impressive. A potential matchup between him and Dominick Cruz was rumored for UFC 301 but didn’t materialize. This could be the perfect time to revisit that idea. Both Aldo and Cruz are WEC and UFC legends, and a fight between them would be a nostalgia-filled bout that fans would love to see.
Anthony Smith: Next Opponent
Smith shocked everyone with a first-round choke over Vitor Petrino, breaking his losing streak. Ranked No. 10, he could face the winner of the upcoming Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg fight, which is scheduled for UFC St. Louis. Either of those opponents would be a solid next step for Smith.
Michael Pereira: Next Opponent
Pereira continued his winning streak with a 54-second submission win over Ihor Potieria. Although he’s known for his flashy style, he might need to tone it down against tougher competition. A bout against Anthony Hernandez, who’s on a five-fight win streak, could be his next test. Hernandez is ranked No. 12, while Pereira is set to move up from his current No. 14 ranking.
Caio Borralho: Next Opponent
Borralho extended his winning streak to 13 with a brutal second-round knockout of Paul Craig. He’s likely to climb a few spots from his No. 14 ranking, which could lead to a showdown with Jack Hermansson. Hermansson is coming off a unanimous decision win over Joe Pyfer, setting up an interesting clash of styles with Borralho.
