UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, had many amazing performances despite being labeled a weak card by the MMA community. Jose Aldo made his comeback in style, against Jonathan Martinez. Caio Borralho, Alessandro Costa, Mauricio Ruffy, and Michel Pereira bagged $50K bonuses for their impressive finishes. Moreover, Anthony Smith upset the odds against Vitor Petrino. Nonetheless, who were all the real winners of UFC 301? Let’s find out!
1. Mauricio Ruffy
The Brazilian Mauricio Ruffy could not have asked for a better UFC debut. Ruffy dominated Jamie Mullarkey from start to finish, a performance reminiscent of prime Conor McGregor – a comparison which Ruffy gladly accepts. With fluid movement and impressive grappling, Ruffy stole the show. Even UFC CEO Dana White was so amazed at his performance that he applauded the fighter on social media.
2. Michel Pereira
Michel Pereira is now on an 8-fight winning streak in the UFC, the latter three at middleweight. In his recent fight against Ihor Potieria, Pereira showed patience and showmanship. Even though he came close to a DQ loss, Pereira entertained the crowd. Moreover, the victory has now put him in the top 15 of the middleweight rankings. All of his fights at middleweight in the UFC ended under 1 minute. So, great things are ahead for Demolidor in the UFC’s middleweight division.
3. Steve Erceg.
Steve Erceg was robbed of the flyweight title at UFC 300. Even though Alexandre Pantoja had more ground control, the Australian delivered significant damage in the fight. Moreover, the loss has even moved him up in the rankings at flyweight. Erceg now has the chance to contend for the title again with a victory over any top 5 opponent. Muhammad Mokaev or Manel Kape might get the next title shot. Therefore, Erceg would likely have to defeat Amir Albazi or Brandon Royval to get a second crack. Considering his performance against Pantoja, it won’t be a tough ask.
4. Caio Borralho
Caio Borralho can certainly expect a top-10 opponent in his next fight. Though known as a strong grappler, Borralho knocked out Paul Craig with a single punch at UFC 300. The performance got him a bonus and has made him a contender at middleweight. With impressive striking and grappling, Borralho is a tough matchup for anyone in the division. The impressive performance has put him just two or three wins away from a middleweight title shot.
