On Saturday Night the UFC flyweight title is on the line. Namely, Brazilian Alexandre Pantoja will defend his UFC Betting title in his homeland against #10 ranked challenger Steve Erceg. Pantoja is a native of Rio de4 Janeiro, the site of UFC 301 Saturday night. Specifically, Pantoja will defend his title belt for the second time. Since 2013, Pantoja has not fought on his native soil. His matchup against Erceg is among the most anticipated in Brazilian history. Overall, there are five matchups on the main card. Four of the matchups feature at least one ranked combatant.
UFC 301 – Pantoja vs. Erceg Main Card
| Date and Time: | Saturday, May 4, 2024, 10 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Farmasi Arena, Rio de Janeira, Brazil |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN+ |
Flyweight Title Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alexandre Pantoja | -238 |
| Steve Erceg | +195 |
Alexandre Pantoja has a career offshore betting record of 27-5. By contrast, Steve Erceg has a career record of 12-1.
Late on, Alexandre Pantoja is riding a 5-bout winning streak. Pantoja is coming off a unanimous decision win against Brandon Royval on December 16, 2023. The win was Pantoja’s first defense of his flyweight title. On July 8, 2023, Pantoja defeated Brandon Moreno by split decision for the flyweight championship. Previously, on July 30, 2022, Pantoja won a 1st-round submission against Alex Perez.
Since his loss to Sean Gauci on September 1, 2017, Steve Erceg won the 11 bouts that followed. Erceg is coming off a 2nd-round knockout win over Matt Schnell on March 2, 20-24. On November 11, 2023, Erceg won a unanimous decision against Alessandro Costa. And then, on June 10, 2023, Erceg won a unanimous decision against David Dvorak.
Bantamweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jonathan Martinez | -135 |
| Jose Also | +114 |
Overall, Jonathan Martinez has a career record of 19-4. Jose Aldo brings a career mark of 31-8 to the octagon.
Jonathan Martinez is one of the hottest fighters on the UFC board. To show, he is riding a 6-bout winning streak. Last time out, Martinez won a 2nd-round technical knockout against Adrian Yanez. On March 11, 2023, Martinez won a unanimous decision against Said Nurmagomedov. And then, on October 15, 2022, Martinez won a 2nd-round technical knockout against Cub Swanson.
Of course, Jose Aldo is best known as the former WEC and UFC featherweight champion. Still, he is considered one of the greatest MMA fighters ever. He defended his UFC title seven times and his WEC title twice.
Of great concern is that Aldo has lost his touch. To illuminate, Aldo lost four of his previous seven bouts. Last time out, Aldo lost a unanimous decision to Merab Dvalishvili.
Light Heavyweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Anthony Smith | +320 |
| Vitor Petrino | -410 |
Anthony Smith has a career UFC Betting odds record of 37-19. In comparison, Vitor Petrino stands at 11-0 for his career.
Middleweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Michael Pereira | -440 |
| Ihor Potieria | +340 |
Overall, Michael Pereira has a career record of 30-11. Ihor Potieria is 21-5 for his career.
Middleweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Paul Craig | +285 |
| Caio Borralho | -360 |
In sum, Paul Craig has a record of 17-7-1 in his career. Caio Borralho brings a marker of 15-1 to the octagon Saturday night.
UFC Fight Night SBG Free Picks
On this occasion, Alexandre Pantoja will be a difficult man to beat in defending his title in his hometown. And Jonathan Martinez has all the momentum for his bout against Jose Aldo.
UFC Fight Night SBG Best Bets: Alexandre Pantoja and Jonathan Martinez.