It's not unusual for International Fight Week to come with some drama, but this year's might be one of the more confounding. UFC is back in Las Vegas for UFC 303 on Saturday -- the crown jewel of International Fight Week in Sin City -- with a new main and co-main event than previously scheduled. Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will look to defend his title against Jiri Prochazka in the main event while Diego Lopes and Brian Ortega will throw down in a featherweight co-main event inside T-Mobile Arena.
The main event was expected to see the return of Conor McGregor in a showdown with Michael Chandler. Unfortunately, McGregor suffered an injury in training camp and was forced to withdraw just a couple weeks out from the event.
Prochazka won the title at UFC 275, winning an outstanding fight against Pereira's friend and MMA mentor Glover Teixeira but was forced to vacate the title due to injury before defending it even once. Prochazka's comeback fight was with Pereira for the vacant title, which Pereira won by TKO in the second round.
Elsewhere on the undercard, Diego Lopes and Brian Ortega are set for an intriguing battle. The pair of featherweights will meet at 155 pounds instead of their normal weight class after being a short notice addition to the card. Both men are vying to stay in the title picture at 145 with a new champion now in the fold. Plus, light heavyweight veteran Anthony Smith is back when he takes on Roman Dolidze, who makes the jump up from middleweight. Macy Chiasson and Mayra Bueno Silva are set for a women's bantamweight throwdown. And welterweights open the PPV when Ian Machado Garry takes on Michael "Venom" Page.
Below is the complete fight card for UFC 303 along with the latest odds. Check back all week for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event.
UFC 303 fight card, odds
- Alex Pereira (c) -150 vs. Jiri Prochazka +125, light heavyweight title
- Diego Lopes -145 vs. Brian Ortega +120, lightweights
- Roman Dolidze -145 vs. Anthony Smith +120, light heavyweights
- Macy Chiasson -110 vs. Mayra Bueno Silva -110, women's bantamweights
- Ian Machado Garry -155 vs. Michael Page +130, welterweights
- Joe Pyfer -300 vs. Marc-Andre Barriault +240, middleweights
- Andre Fili -235 vs. Cub Swanson +195. featherweights
- Charles Jourdain -115 vs. Jean Silva -105, featherweights
- Gillian Robertson -180 vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez +155, women's strawweights
- Payton Talbott -1600 vs. Yanis Ghemmouri +800, bantamweights
- Martin Buday -270 vs. Andrei Arlovski +220, heavyweights
- Rei Tsuruya -470 vs. Carlos Hernandez +350, flyweights
- Ricky Simon -250 vs. Vinicius Olivera +205, bantamweights
UFC 303 info
- Date: June 29
- Location: T-Mobile Arena -- Las Vegas
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
UFC 303 countdown
- Staff predictions and expert picks for the main card
- Brookhouse: Best bets to consider on the main card
- Campbell: How Pereira quickly became the face of UFC
- Mahjouri: Undercard fights to watch this weekend
- Campbell: Five biggest storylines to watch at International Fight Week
- Campbell: White and Co. owe fans an explanation over McGregor situation
- Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 set as new main event for International Fight Week
- McGregor injured, out of main event against Chandler
Who wins UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka 2, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on UFC 303, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and find out.
