Pereira v Prochazka preview & betting picks | UFC 303 main event

The light heavyweight crown will be on the line at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this Saturday when Alex Pereira defends against the threat of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303. The elite strikers met at UFC 295 in 2023 when Pereira emerged victorious, but Prochazka cannot be underestimated in this rematch. Read on for a full fight preview and betting strategy.

Alex Pereira v Jiri Prochazka fight preview

Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka

Alex Pereira (10-2-0) is the most talented MMA striker in the world by a considerable margin. The former kickboxing champion has rewritten the rules by capturing both the middleweight and light heavyweight crowns after just seven UFC fights. The Brazilian throws all his shots with devastating power and can turn out the lights of any opponent, as demonstrated against elite talent such as Israel Adesanya, Jamahal Hill, and Sean Strickland.

Pereira had too many weapons the first time these athletes met, ending the bout with a second-round TKO. He possesses a much more technical skill set and will be looking to replicate his early success with another stoppage victory.

Jiri Prochazka (30-4-1) bounced back from his 2023 loss to Pereira with an impressive knockout win over Alex Rakic and should be wiser heading into the rematch. The 31-year-old employs a vastly different combat approach to his opponent and fights in a free-form, flow-state type of style. This makes him unpredictable and hard to read, but a lack of rigid defence can leave him vulnerable.

Prochazka combines a range of martial arts and a unique mindset, making him one of the more interesting characters in MMA. The Czech’s last 13 fights have all ended inside the distance, with notable wins over Glover Teixeira, Dominick Reyes, and Volkan Oezdemir, and his only loss during this sequence came against Pereira.

Alex Pereira v Jiri Prochazka betting strategy

Online bookmakers have posted surprisingly narrow betting lines for this contest. Prochazka has the potential to emerge with the belt, but Pereira has been so dominant in recent fights that he probably should be a shorter price. The contrasting styles of the tight and defensive champion against the loose and carefree challenger should make for an enthralling spectacle regardless of the outcome.

This fight is likely to end before the final bell, so punters might want to back their pick via knockout at a nice quote. It is hard to look past the brilliance of Pereira, so he offers the greater appeal at the prices on offer with top UFC betting sites.

Sports betting picks