Following an excellent showcase at UFC 300, the promotion heads to Brazil for another card full of amazing fighters as they duke it out at UFC 301. Kicking off your UFC 301 betting rundown, the main event of this card is slated as a contest for the UFC Men’s Flyweight Championship with Alexandre Pantoja defending against Steve Erceg. The champion enters this bout as a top-ten UFC fighter in the pound-for-pound rankings while his opponent is aiming for a solid upset even though he has not lost a fight to date in the UFC (3-0). Meanwhile, in the bantamweight division, Jonathan Martinez squares off against former UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo in a contest that could have huge ramifications in the bantamweight title scene.
In this report, SBS will be going over what to look for from each fighter, a predicted winner in each matchup, and also more notes and thoughts about UFC 301 betting.
| UFC 301 Main Event Bouts | The Pick |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandre Pantoja (c) vs. Steve Erceg | Pantoja | -235 | -235 | -235 |
| Jonathan Martinez vs. José Aldo | Martinez | -135 | -135 | -135 |
Fighter Spotlight: Alexandre Pantoja
Coming into this contest, the Brazilian champion is on a five-fight winning streak which also includes three straight Fight of the Night/Performance of the Night outings. During this streak, he defeated Brandon Moreno by way of a split decision at UFC 290 to earn the UFC Flyweight Championship. This contest was also recognized as the Fight of the Night during the event. Recently, the champion was able to defend his belt at UFC 296 with a unanimous decision win against Brandon Royval. A fierce competitor, the Brazilian combatant has an overall record of 27-5 in his MMA career with 10 of those wins coming via submission and eight by way of knockout.
Fighter Spotlight: Steve Erceg
A competitor that has not lost yet in UFC matchups, Erceg enters this contest in what should be the biggest fight of his career thus far. With an overall MMA record of 12-1, the Australian fighter is currently recognized as one of the top flyweights in the company and could be in line for an upset over Pantoja if he can get going early on. Known as “Astro Boy,” the fighter has won six of his career 12 wins by way of knockout and also notched two different victories with knockouts. Most recently, he scored a spectacular knockout win over Matt Schnell at the UFC Fight Night event last month. With this victory, Erceg was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus and brought his UFC record to a perfect 3-0.
Prediction: In what should be a stellar fight, Pantoja will have his hands full with the challenger if he underestimates him. That said, the champion is on his home soil which certainly bodes well for him and should give him the winning edge in this championship fight.
Fighter Spotlight: Jonathan Martinez
Perhaps a breakout star for the UFC in the future if he can win this fight, Martinez is coming off a strong Performance of the Night showing at October’s UFC Fight Night event. In this matchup against Adrian Yanez, he was able to notch a TKO victory with a vicious leg kick attack on his opponent in Las Vegas. With an overall career record of 19-4, the American fighter is perhaps entering his biggest fight in this contest against Aldo. A UFC fighter since 2018, he has accrued a record of 10-2 in his UFC bouts since losing his debut match in the organization. Currently, he is on a six-fight winning streak and has notched two different TKO wins during that span.
Fighter Spotlight: Jose Aldo
Recognized as one the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, Aldo is considered by some outlets to be the best featherweight ever after defending his UFC title seven times and also his WEC title twice. Moreover, after his first MMA defeat in November 2005, Aldo remained undefeated for over a decade, winning 18 straight fights until UFC 194 in December 2015, when he lost to Conor McGregor to bring his career record to 25-2. However, since then he has notched a mark of 6-6 in UFC competition with this last win coming in December 2021 against Rob Font. Moreover, he does have some ring rust as his last official UFC fight was in August 2022 which resulted in a unanimous decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili.
Prediction: In what should be an interesting fight, take Martinez to beat the legend Aldo here given his more recent success and the former champion’s lack of ring time in recent years.
After you are all dialed in regarding your UFC 301 betting round-up, make sure to check out the wide array of great info over at SBS to help you supercharge your UFC 301 bets. Of course, for even more information on the topic at hand to help out your UFC 301 picks and beyond, the UFC betting sites guide has you covered. Conversely, for those interested in diversifying their payment options, check out the payment methods rundown which goes over a variety of fantastic outlets from crypto to more traditional banking routes. Finally, another solid page to peruse is the VIP sports betting sites breakdown which covers the perks of VIP wagering and could also help you put together the best UFC 301 bets if you can find the strategy that works best for you.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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