Little over half a year since their last appearance together in the octagon, Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka come face to face again – this time at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The Brazilian made short work of their last bout, winning by TKO in Round 2.
Why isn’t Conor McGregor at UFC 303?
Conor McGregor’s much anticipated return at UFC 303 was dashed by a fractured toe. He was due to fight Michael Chandler in the headline event until injury forced him to withdraw. “I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t in deep pain right now watching fight week take place. Thank you for the messages of support and encouragement, my peers and fans,” McGregor explained on X.
Which is why Pereira was hastily drafted in to save the day. The Brazilian will take home the biggest payout of his UFC career so far. He took home around $1.13 million from last November’s bout with Prochazka reportedly pocketing approximately $552,000 but both are expected to earn significantly higher fees this time around with Pereira also to receive a “fight of the night” bonus along with Finally, pay-per-view points.
Prochazka seeking revenage for UFC 295 defeat
Some have estimated that Pereira could end up taking home a figure closer to $3 million – doubling the $1,132,000 he banked at UFC 296 – his biggest career payday to date.
Prochazka meanwhile will also cash in a bigger fee than last time they met. The Czech is expected to make at least $750,000 from UFC 303 – $500,000 of that corresponding to the purse winnings, which will be boosted by bonuses, sponsorship payments and PPV points.
Pereira heads into UFC 303 with a record of 10-2 and 8 KOs while Prochazka is 4-1 – his only defeat to the man he will be taking on this weekend. “I wasn’t 100 percent but now I am. I’m ready to take the title. I like challenges. This is a real challenge. I don’t want to say I have the right recipe to beat Alex, but I know the way. Step by step, I will achieve that on Saturday,” he assured this week.
Further down this weekend’s card, Brian Ortega, Anthony Smith, Cub Swanson and Andrei Arlovski are all expected to take home a figure of around $200,000. Diego Lopes hopes to be $86,000 richer by the end of Saturday night with Ian Machado Garry earning a similar figure.
