After a week riddled with turmoil about the UFC’s main and co-main events of the biggest annual card of the year (International Fight Week or IFW), the nerves have finally been settled by a classic Dana White war room announcement 

Taking the main event slot from Connor McGregor and Michael Chandler after a McGregor injury is a rematch at 205lbs between the champion Alex Pereira, and the challenger Jiri Prochazka.

McGregor and Chandler were coaches on the Season 31 edition of “the ultimate fighter” and were expected to finally fight at this event, but unfortunately that is no longer the case due to a leg injury on McGregor’s behalf.

Replacing Jamahal Hill and Carlos Ulberg in the co-main event will be #3 ranked featherweight Brian Ortega, taking on #14 ranked Diego Lopes. 

Ulberg however will not be leaving the card, as #10 ranked light heavyweight Anthony Smith steps in for Jamahal Hill to face him in the featured bout. 

We originally were supposed to get McGregor vs Chandler, Hill vs Ulberg, and Pyfer vs Marc Andre Berriault as the last 3 fights to close out the show. Despite the short notice factor for all 3 fights, we are getting much better replacements.

Pereira and Prochazka originally met as the main event of UFC 295 back in November of last year. The fight ended in a second-round KO in favor of the current champion in what Prochazka and many others called a pre-mature stoppage 

After winning the title, Pereira capped off a milestone UFC 300 with an emphatic KO over former champion Jamahal Hill in the very first round. Earlier on UFC 300, Prochazka got back to his winning ways, scoring a knockout himself over Aleksander Rakic. On June 29th, the Czech and the Brazilian go at it again for the second time. 

As a fan of Prochazka, I am simultaneously terrified and excited for this fight. As a fight fan, I am incredibly ecstatic that we have the fight as soon as we do. As a fan of prochazka, Im terrified to see my favorite fighter potentially lose again to the same person.

The reality is that UFC 303 got much better after today. A title fight between two of the baddest mf’s in the UFC today, a badass fight at featherweight to determine one of the next contenders, and an overall solid fight at light heavyweight. 

Not to mention we get a really good welterweight fight between cocky and loud-mouthed Ian Garry and the athletic and agile Michael ‘Venom’ Page to open the card. 

The UFC, time after time continues to make bad situations into great ones. And they have done it again tonight. A title fight rematch, a #1 contenders fight at featherweight, and 2 bangers at light heavyweight and welterweight respectively 

Hunter Campbell needs a god damn raise after this.