An interesting turn of events, UFC 303 features a revamped main event lineup with some of the best fighters in the world duking it out which should make for a fantastic UFC 303 betting card. After a main event shuffle, the new headliner for this event will be a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship rematch between current champion Alex Pereira and former champion Jiří Procházka. The pair previously met at UFC 295 in November 2023, where Pereira won the vacant title via a second-round TKO. In a related update, a light heavyweight fight between former champion Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree was expected to serve as the co-headliner for the event. However, both had to withdraw for different reasons, so to update your UFC 303 betting strategy, the newly updated bout here is Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes in the featherweight division.
For this report, SBS will be going over the latest gaming news and notes coming from the world of the UFC and some additional tips regarding UFC 303 betting.
| UFC 303 Main Event Bouts | The Pick |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Pereira vs. Jiří Procházka | Pereira | -138 | -138 | -138 |
| Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes | Ortega | +110 | +110 | +110 |
Fighter Spotlight: Alex Pereira
Pereira is coming off a fantastic victory over Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 which he won via knockout in April. That said, this fight is going to be a quick turnaround for the Brazilian champion as he aims to defend his title for the second time this year. With a record of 10-2, Pereira is one of the most vicious fighters in the promotion with eight knockout wins to date. As of earlier this year, he is recognized as a top-five fighter in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Also, he is the only known fighter to be a two-division world champion in MMA and kickboxing and is regarded as “one of the greatest combat athletes of all time.” In the past, the fantastic athlete has been ranked as the best kickboxing fighter in the middleweight and light heavyweight rankings before he came to the UFC.
Fighter Spotlight: Jiří Procházka
Another decorated fighter, the Czech fighter is an amazing athlete and is also regarded as the top fighter in the UFC light heavyweight rankings. Procházka has been covered in this space, but his prowess as a fighter is very impressive. In the past, he was the inaugural Rizin Fighting Federation Light Heavyweight Champion among other accolades within that promotion. While he did lose to Pereira back in November of last year, he rebounded at UFC 300 with a stellar performance of the night victory over Aleksandar Rakic. In this bout, the Czech fighter was able to score a second-round TKO victory over his opponent at the stellar event in Las Vegas. With this win, Procházka brought his career record to 30-4 with an awesome 26 knockout wins to his credit. Certainly a dominant fighter, he is also angling for revenge in this fight.
Prediction: In a star-studded bout that is the main event for a reason, take Pereira to again defeat his rival. However, this fight could go either way, but no one has been able to slow down the Brazilian for long.
Fighter Spotlight: Brian Ortega
Noted as a top-three combatant in the UFC featherweight rankings by the promotion, Orega comes into this fight looking to make some noise and climb up the rankings. In the past, he has challenged for the UFC Featherweight Championship, losing in a unanimous decision contest to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266. With that in mind, he is coming off a great Performance of the Night submission victory against Yair Rodriguez. This was a rematch fight between the two as Rodriguez scored a TKO win over Ortega in their previous matchup.
Fighter Spotlight: Diego Lopes
An MMA veteran, Lopes has notched 24 wins in his pro career to date including 12 by way of submission. He is currently riding a three-fight winning streak, scoring TKO and KO wins against the likes of Sodiq Yusuff and Pat Sabatini, both at mainline UFC events (300 and 295, respectively). While he did take on Yusuff back in April, he is still an amazing fighter who can obviously put his opponents in all kinds of trouble if he gets going early.
Prediction: Another very even matchup, take Orega to pull out the dramatic win here and vault his way up the featherweight contender rankings.
After you are all squared away regarding the latest updates and notes coming from the UFC, make sure to check out the awesome array of information available to you at SBS. Of course, for even more insights into your UFC 303 bets, make sure to check out the UFC betting sites guide which goes over all of the latest betting markets related to the sport. Moreover, if you are interested in maximizing your wagers, check out the best bonus betting sites rundown. On this page, you can find a catalog of the different bonus offers available to you and also tips for getting the best UFC 303 bets. Finally, for those on the go, the best betting apps breakdown is a must-read resource for mobile betting and getting your UFC 303 picks dialed in.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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