5/5/24: Alexandre Pantoja Earns Decision Nod Over Steve Erceg To Defend UFC Flyweight Title
Also: Matt Brown announces retirement from MMA
Welcome to a Sunday edition of the Knockdown Daily. We have a lot to cover in today’s issue! Along with a report on last night’s UFC 301 event, we have many other big news stories from around the MMA world. Let’s waste no more time and get into the top stories from the past 24 hours.
Alexandre Pantoja Goes The Distance Against Steve Erceg To Defend UFC Flyweight Title For Second Time
Alexandre Pantoja worked a hard five rounds against Steve Erceg to successfully defend his UFC Flyweight Championship on Saturday evening. A challenging but in the end winning effort from Pantoja culminated with a unanimous decision result that saw him take as many as three or four rounds of the fight, depending on the judge.
Pantoja’s victory headlined UFC 301 from the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this weekend.
The 25-minute contest saw Pantoja engage in close striking exchanges and have the edge on the ground.
On the feet, Erceg and Pantoja connected in back-and-forth shots. Pantoja out-landed Erceg in some rounds, although the Australian had numerous moments where he was clearly scoring the better punches and caused significant damage with shots. Arguably the biggest moment for him came in the third, when an elbow caused a cut on the head of Pantoja.
The fight went to the canvas 10 times during the fight, nine of which were due to takedowns by Pantoja. The defending champ used his grappling to control the fight and at times take away momentum from Erceg. While Erceg caused scrambles on the ground, it wasn’t often that these exchanges would end with him in control. In fact, official UFC stats say that he recorded just 32 seconds overall of control time during the entire fight. As much as Erceg showed resistance on the ground, his pushback wasn’t enough to actually take control away from Pantoja.
In the end, it was the final minutes of the fight that ultimately decided who left Rio with the flyweight title.
The championship was still up for grabs heading into the final round, as two judges saw the contest tied with just five minutes to go. Pantoja had a strong final round, reversing a pair of takedown attempts from Erceg to earn ground control. All three judges saw him win the last round, securing a unanimous decision and preventing Erceg from stealing the fight—and the flyweight title—in the closing minutes.
Afterward, Erceg expressed frustration about the final round. The Australian challenger said that he “blew it” in the closing minutes while the bout was still close on scorecards.
Pantoja is now just the third UFC Flyweight Champion in history to defend their belt twice or more. The belt has changed hands frequently since the end of Demetrious Johnson’s time on top, meaning that Pantoja and Deiveson Figueiredo are the only names to show prolonged success during their reigns.
Pantoja earned the title just 10 months back, beating Brandon Moreno in a split decision. He then defended his title for the first time last year, dominating Brandon Royval in another five-round outing.
This weekend was a return for Pantoja, as before Saturday he hadn’t fought in his home country of Brazil for more than a decade. His previous Brazil fight predated his UFC career, going all the way back to 2013 when he was making his 16th pro appearance.
Erceg came into this weekend after less than a year on the UFC roster. After an upset win over David Dvorak plus victories against Alessandro Costa and Matt Schnell, Erceg found himself positioned for a title shot this year.
Former UFC Champion and Hall of Famer Jose Aldo came out of retirement in the co-main event, putting together a three-round striking masterclass against Jonathan Martinez to earn a scorecard victory.
Aldo stepped away from MMA in 2022 after suffering a loss to Merab Dvalishvili. He hasn’t necessarily been inactive from fighting since then, competing three times in boxing over the past year or so. The veteran talent made it clear afterward that Saturday wasn’t a one-off appearance for him, mentioning that he plans to fight again in the future.
My full report on UFC 301, including a rundown of all of the main card and prelim fights, can be read at POST Wrestling. Here are the quick results from the night:
Main Card (10:00PM EDT / 11:00PM BRT) (PPV)
Bout 13: Alexandre Pantoja def. Steve Erceg via Decision, Unanimous (UFC Flyweight Championship)
Bout 12: Jose Aldo def. Jonathan Martinez via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 11: Anthony Smith def. Vitor Petrino via Submission, Guillotine Choke (RD 1, 2:00)
Bout 10: Michel Pereira def. Ihor Potieria via Submission, Guillotine Choke (RD 1, 0:54)
Bout 9: Caio Borralho def. Paul Craig via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 2:10)
Preliminary Card (8:00PM EDT / 9:00PM BRT) (ESPN2 / ESPN+)
Bout 8: Joanderson Brito def. Jack Shore via TKO, Doctor Stoppage (RD 2, 3:35)
Bout 7: Iasmin Lucindo def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 6: Myktybek Orolbai def. Elves Brener via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 5: Drakkar Klose def. Joaquim Silva via Decision, Unanimous
Early Prelims (6:00PM EDT / 7:00PM BRT) (ESPN2 / ESPN+)
Bout 4: Mauricio Ruffy def. Jamie Mullarkey via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 4:42)
Bout 3: Dione Barbosa def. Ernesta Kareckaite via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 2: Ismael Bonfim def. Vinc Pichel via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 1: Alessandro Costa def. Kevin Borjas via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 1:35)
Matt Brown, Fighter With Most Finishes In UFC Welterweight History, Announces Retirement
One of the most experienced welterweights in UFC history has declared the end of his career.
Matt Brown announced Saturday that his run as an MMA fighter has come to an end. His career is concluding after 30 different UFC appearances, a pair of headlining fights, and hard-to-surpass accomplishments in the welterweight division.
“Not doing it again. I’m out,” Brown wrote on social media this week. “That’s the announcement. My life will now be dedicated to serving others. Growing others in the martial arts and building businesses that can help the community and the world. Thanks to Dana White and UFC for giving me a platform to express myself and my brand but it is time to move on to bigger, better things!”
Brown, 43, joined the UFC roster in 2008 after competing on Season 7 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” While he didn’t win the season, getting eliminated by Amir Sadollah, Brown was signed onto the promotion afterward.
Brown’s lengthy UFC campaign included a strong run from 2012 to 2014, earning seven wins, including a main event victory over Erick Silva. He has flipped between wins and losses in more recent years, with his last fight being a May 2023 victory over Court McGee.
Extensive time on the UFC roster has put Brown among the most successful in the welterweight division’s history. In the division, he has the second-most UFC fights (30), third-most wins (17), most finishes (15), and second-most “Fight Night” bonuses (9).
Outside of fighting, Brown is a business owner. He currently runs the Immortal Martial Arts Center in Lewis Center, Ohio, and runs the Immortal Coffee brand. He has become a media personality in recent years, frequently hosting a podcast alongside MMA Fighting writer Damon Martin.
Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua Announced For 2024 UFC Hall of Fame
Former UFC Champion and Pride FC legend Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s career will be celebrated at the UFC Hall of Fame later this year.
Rua’s upcoming induction into the Hall of Fame’s “Modern Wing” was announced on Saturday night at UFC 301.
Rua, 42, sprung onto the international scene in 2003, fighting for Japanese promotion Pride FC after previously attaining four wins through U.S. and Brazil appearances. He quickly made a name for himself in Pride, overcoming Alistair Overeem, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona all within a year to win the 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix.
“Shogun” continued to dominate Pride FC until he was moved over to the UFC roster in 2007. He briefly held the promotion’s light heavyweight title, scoring a first-round finish against Lyoto Machida at UFC 113 in 2010 to capture the belt. His first title defence came against Jon Jones, who dethroned him and kicked off a title reign that lasted just over 1,500 days.
Rua went on to win 11 of his 24 UFC appearances, eventually retiring in 2023 after going on the first three-fight losing streak of his career.
Rua will join Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Wanderlei Silva as fighters being inducted at the June 27th Hall of Fame ceremony. Also joining the 2024 class is the UFC 117 fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen, plus a community service award celebrating Beneil Dariush.
Christian Eckerlin Picks Up Second-Round Stoppage In Front of Frankfurt Supporters At OKTAGON 57
With the support of his home crowd, Christian Eckerlin secured a second-round finish victory on Saturday night. Eckerlin used ground and pound shots to stop Miroslav Broz in the second round of the OKTAGON 57 main event from Frankfurt, Germany this weekend.
A single leg takedown from Eckerlin set up the end of the fight late in the second round. After landing in half guard, Eckerlin unloaded with a series of elbows to the head of Broz late in the frame. He kept with these shots until the referee stepped in to stop the fight, putting an end to a start-to-finish strong outing from the German fighter.
Eckerlin had a successful opening round in the fight as well, putting together punches that earned him the first five minutes on scorecards. Shots earlier in the second round caused Broz to start bleeding, painting his face red before the finishing sequence.
Eckerlin was returning after suffering his first OKTAGON loss late last year, dropping a unanimous decision to Leandro Silva. He had an eight-fight winning streak prior to then, including two OKTAGON wins, a KSW appearance, and numerous bouts on the German regional scene.
Broz now finds himself in a similar position to what Eckerlin faced when he came in this weekend. The Czech will now have to figure out what to do after suffering his first loss in years, ending a run that saw him attain seven wins and one draw.
OKTAGON Featherweight Champion Losene Keita advanced into the quarter-finals of the Tipsport Gamechanger Lightweight Grand Prix in the co-main event, sneaking by Agy Sardari with a unanimous decision outcome.
Keita started the fight with a pair of strong rounds but struggled greatly in the final frame after getting rocked by shots from Sardari. Keita was able to survive the closing minutes and win on scorecards, setting him up for a fight against Predrag Bogdanovic at OKTAGON’s July 20th card.
Here are the quick results from OKTAGON 57:
Main Card (12:00PM EDT / 6:00PM CEST) (OKTAGON PPV)
Bout 12: Christian Eckerlin def. Miroslav Broz via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 4:49)
Bout 11: Losene Keita def. Agy Sardari via Decision, Unanimous (Tipsport Gamechanger Lightweight Grand Prix Opening Round)
Bout 10: Pavol Langer def. Marc Doussis via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 4:06)
Bout 9: Farbod Nezhad def. Mate Sanikidze via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 8: Louis Glismann def. Lukasz Siwiec via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 7: Matous Kohout def. Islam Khapilaev via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 6: Max Holzer def. Eemil Kurhela via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 1:53)
Bout 5: Beno Adamia def. Stipe Brcic via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Mallory Martin def. Anita Bekus via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 3: Endrit Brajshori def. Tayo Odunjo via Decision, Split
Bout 2: Laura Kirtzel def. Sandra Peterhoff via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 2:09)
Bout 1: Haifa Reso def. Erika Tomm via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 1:58)
Brendan Loughnane vs. Justin Gonzales To Headline June 28th PFL Regular Season Finale
PFL’s 2024 regular season will come to an end with a night of featherweight and welterweight fights from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA.
The June 28th card will give fighters their last chance to earn points and qualify for the four-man, single-elimination playoff brackets that will take place later this year.
Featherweight division leader Brendan Loughnane will headline the card against Justin Gonzales.
Loughnane secured a spot atop the leaderboard last month with an 86-second victory, putting away Pedro Carvalho with strikes early in the first round. The win set the 2022 champ on the right track toward earning yet another title.
Gonzales didn’t have the same level of success in April. He suffered a first-round finish against Gabriel Braga, getting stopped by a left hook to take his third consecutive loss. Currently ninth in the division, he has a lot of ground to cover next month and will have to do so against a tough opponent.
South Dakota’s own Logan Storley will get the co-main event spotlight against Laureano Staropoli.
Storley, a former Bellator title challenger, is returning after getting finished in the second round by Shamil Musaev last month. Staropoli is similarly coming back after getting submitted in the first round of a fight against Murad Ramazanov. Staropoli sits last in the standings currently, as a weight miss for his first fight of the season deducted a point from his score.
Here’s a full look at the lineup. A breakdown of the 10 other fights can be read in the notes section of today’s newsletter:
Main Card (10:00PM EDT / 9:00PM CDT) (ESPN / ESPN+)
Bout 12: Brendan Loughnane (28-5) vs. Justin Gonzales (14-4) (Featherweight)
Bout 11: Logan Storley (15-3) vs. Laureano Staropoli (13-6) (Welterweight)
Bout 10: Magomed Umalatov (15-0) vs. Brennan Ward (17-8) (Welterweight)
Bout 9: Gabriel Alves Braga (13-1) vs. Bubba Jenkins (21-8) (Featherweight)
Preliminary Card (6:00PM EDT / 5:00PM CDT) (ESPN+)
Bout 8: Murad Ramazanov (12-0) vs. Shamil Musaev (17-0-1) (Welterweight)
Bout 7: Timur Khizriev (15-0) vs. Enrique Barzola (20-8-2) (Featherweight)
Bout 6: Goiti Yamauchi (29-6) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (27-5) (Welterweight)
Bout 5: Kai Kamaka III (13-5-1) vs. Pedro Carvalho (13-9) (Featherweight)
Bout 4: Don Madge (11-4-1) vs. Neiman Gracie (12-5) (Welterweight)
Bout 3: Adam Borics (19-2) vs. Brett Johns (20-4) (Featherweight)
Bout 2: Zach Juusola (14-9) vs. Luca Poclit (10-1) (Welterweight)
Bout 1: Jordan Oliver (1-0) vs. Isaiah Hokit (3-1) (Featherweight)
Notes On: UFC & PFL
Here are the four “Performance of the Night” winners from UFC 301. All bonus winners earned an extra $50,000 on top of their previously negotiated fight purse.
Michel Pereira (31-11) was given a bonus for his 54-second submission win against Ihor Potieria (21-6). After hurting Potieria with strikes, Pereira caught him with a guillotine choke on the feet that forced a tap. Pereira has now won eight fights in a row.
Caio Borralho (16-1) was given a bonus after putting Paul Craig (17-8-1) away in the first round with strikes. Borralho currently holds an impressive UFC record of six wins since his 2022 promotional debut.
A first-round finish on the prelims from UFC newcomer Mauricio Ruffy (10-1) against Jamie Mullarkey (17-8) was given a bonus as well. Ruffy scored with a series of shots before a right hand dropped Mullarkey, ending the fight.
A finish in the opening bout of the night scored Alessandro Costa (14-4) a bonus. Costa stopped Kevin Borjas (9-3) in the second round, dropping him with leg kicks before finishing the bout with ground and pound strikes.
Here’s a quick rundown for the rest of the June 28th PFL card:
Magomed Umalatov (15-0) will try to follow up on his first win of the year by beating Brennan Ward (17-8). Umalatov earned three points with a decision victory over Andrey Koreshkov. While he is coming off a win, having just three points means that Umalatov is on the bubble and near elimination from the playoffs heading into this June event. Ward is coming back after suffering a 62-second submission loss to Don Madge.
After his emotional first win of the year, Gabriel Alves (13-1) will take on former finalist Bubba Jenkins (21-8). Alves stopped Justin Gonzales in the first round of their April fight to earn six points. The fight was a big win for Alves, as it was the first appearance since his father Diego Alves was killed. Jenkins lost a unanimous decision to UFC alum Kai Kamaka III in his first regular season fight.
In a matchup of undefeated Russian talents, Murad Ramazanov (12-0) and Shamil Musaev (17-0-1) will face off. Ramazanov, a former ONE Championship talent, submitted Laureano Staropoli in the first round last month. Musaev also recently earned a finish victory, stopping Logan Storley with strikes.
Undefeated Timur Khizriev (15-0) will try to keep his run going against Enrique Barzola (20-8-2). Khizriev overcame former UFC talent Brett Johns in April to earn three points. Barzola had an unsuccessful PFL debut after a six-fight Bellator run, losing to Adam Borics.
In a matchup between two Bellator veterans that has somehow never been made before, Goiti Yamauchi (29-6) will meet Andrey Koreshkov (27-5). Yamauchi is coming off a scorecard win over Neiman Gracie, while Koreshkov is returning following a decision defeat to Magomed Umalatov.
Pedro Carvalho (13-9) will fight for his first win in more than a year when he takes on Kai Kamaka III (13-5-1). Carvalho has lost three consecutive fights, including a first-round finish loss to Brendan Loughnane last month. Kamaka on the other hand is on a four-fight run of wins and just beat Bubba Jenkins via decision.
Welterweight standings leader Don Madge (11-4-1) will collide against Neiman Gracie (12-5). Madge submitted Brennan Ward in just 62 seconds, putting him above everybody else in the 170 pounds standings for the time being. Gracie is returning after losing a decision to Goiti Yamauchi last month.
Adam Borics (19-2) and Brett Johns (20-4) will meet for a featherweight season fight. Borics overcame fellow Bellator alum Enrique Barzola last month on scorecards to get into the top five. Johns is coming back after losing a fight to Timur Khizriev.
While it’s unclear whether the bout is a regular season fight or a reserve/showcase matchup, a welterweight fight between Zach Juusola (14-9) and Luca Poclit (10-1) has been booked for the prelims. Juusola last appeared just over a year ago, beating Brandon Jenkins via decision. Poclit is coming over to the PFL after a three-fight winning streak in Bellator, with two wins via submission.
In a featherweight showcase, Jordan Oliver (1-0) will take on Isaiah Hokit (3-1). Both 145-pounders are fighters who turned their wrestling backgrounds into MMA careers. Oliver just won his debut last year, submitting Andrew Triolo in 65 seconds.