UFC 301 play-by-play, live results

UFC 301 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results. UFC 301 (Pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

In the main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC), a native of Rio, will put his belt on the line for the second time when he takes on Australia’s Steve Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who got a title shot less than a year after he debuted in the promotion.

In the co-feature, former featherweight champ Jose Aldo (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) returns from a short retirement to fight out his UFC contract against Jonathan Martinez (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC).

Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 6 p.m. ET for the early prelims on ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN, and 10 p.m. ET for the main card on pay-per-view (via ESPN+).

Enjoy the fights, everyone.

Kevin Borjas vs. Alessandro Costa

Round 1 – Big one, two by Costa. Another big combo by Costa. Borjas is still marching forward. Leg kick by Costa. Costa closes the distance, briefly clinches and then lands an elbow on the break.  Borjas seems a bit gun shy here. Two minutes left. Good defense here by Borjas, as he moves away from a combo from Costa. Borjas is bleeding from his ear. Good jab by Borjas. Oh! Big left stuns Borjas! They’re throwing down. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Costa.

Round 2 – Costa all over Borjas here. Massive leg kicks are hurting Borjas. Costa drops Borjas with a leg kick. Nasty combos by Costa. Borjas is taking a beating here. Costa moves to mount. Nasty ground-and-pound. It’s over! Impressive win by Costa.

Result: Alessandro Costa def. Kevin Borjas via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 1:35
Recap: Alessandro Costa chops down Kevin Borjas with leg kicks to set up TKO
Photos: Alessandro Costa def. Kevin Borjas at UFC 301: Best photos
Records: Costa (14-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Borjas (9-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Joao Claudio Soares

Ismael Bonfim vs. Vinc Pichel

Round 1 – Pichel with a heavy leg kick attack. Pichel is staying on the outside, looking to land leg kicks. Bonfim with a few of his own. Good jabs by Bonfim. Oh! Nasty body shot by Bonfim. Pichel eats it well. Bonfim is landing big here. Oh! A big head kick partially lands for Bonfim. Pichel is not throwing much. A takedown attempt from Bonfim in the final seconds, but ends on bottom. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Bonfim.

Round 2 – Bonfim attacking immediately. Nice combo from Bonfim! The pace has slowed down a ton here. Low output from both. Jabs by Bonfim. Good one, two by Pichel. A big right lands clean for Bonfim! It looks like Pichel is hurt a bit. Bonfim upping the pressure. Two minutes left. Bonfim backs Pichel to the cage and lands a nasty combo. Great chin on Pichel. A right hook lands for Bonfim. Bonfim loses his balance on a combo and Pichel ends on top. The bell rings almost immediately.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Bonfim.

Round 3 – Pichel comes out more aggressive, looking to make up for lost ground. Bonfim countering well. A lot more power being thrown by Pichel, but Bonfim still getting the better of the shots. Oh! Big left hook from Bonfim hurts Pichel. He recovers, but Bonfim is still on attack mode. Two minutes left. Bonfim with a clean right now. Pichel brawling a bit here, trying to create some magic. One minute left. Oh! Big combo by Bonfim. Bonfim shoots and gets the takedown. He’s landing shots from top while in Pichel’s guard. Bonfim now stands up and starts kicking Pichel’s legs. Pichel shoots and presses Bonfim against the cage. Shots from Bonfim, as he’s getting controlled. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Bonfim. Overall 30-27, Bonfim.

Result: Ismael Bonfim def. Vinc Pichel via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: Ismael Bonfim def. Vinc Pichel at UFC 301: Best photos
Records: Bonfim (20-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Pichel (14-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mike Beltran
Judging: Rafael Ferreira, Ben Cartlidge, David Lethaby 30-27.

Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite

Round 1 – Kareckaite pressuring the much shorter Barbosa here. Body kick by Barbosa. Oh! Massive right by Barbosa. Kareckaite was stunned for a little. Leg kick by Barbosa. More leg kicks from Barbosa. Kareckaite has yet to land anything clean. Barbosa shoots and gets the takedown. She immediately gets the back of Kareckaite! Body triangle! Kareckaite is in trouble. Barbosa landing some ground-and-pound, as she looks to set up the rear-naked choke. A minute and a half left. Barbosa slips and loses back control. She turns her mistake into an armbar, but it wasn’t tight, and the bell rang shortly after.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Barbosa.

Round 2 – Oh! Barbosa rocks Kareckaite with an elbow. She now presses Kareckaite against the cage. Good start to the round by Barbosa. Kareckaite shoots and takes down Kareckaite. Oh! Kareckaite with the reversal, but Barbosa pushes her off. Kareckaite now stands over Barbosa while kicking her legs. The crowd is booing. Big leg kicks by Kareckaite. After a few seconds, the referee stands them up. Nice one, two by Kareckaite. Barbosa looks a little tired. They scramble and Barbosa ends on bottom, attacking with a heel hook. Barbosa uses that to get Kareckaite’s back, but then loses it. Kareckaite on top now while in Barbosa’s guard. Some shots from Kareckaite. The bell rings. Close round.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Kareckaite.

Round 3 – This fight is getting close after a dominant start by Barbosa. Barbosa shoots and Kareckaite stuffs the takedown. Big straight right by Kareckaite. Barbosa shoots again and comes up short. Kareckaite is taking the lead here. Kareckaite is walking down Brabosa. Three minutes left. One, two lands clean for Kareckaite Barbosa shoots and fails. Kareckaite is tagging her up. Not a ton of power from Kareckaite, but she’s landing. Right hand connects for Kareckaite. Two minutes left. Barbosa is slowing down here. She shoots for a takedown, gets it, but immediately gets reversed by Kareckaite. Barbosa now attacking with a leg lock from bottom. Kareckaite gets out. One minute left. Kareckaite kicking Brabosa’s legs while standing over her. They stand up. Kareckaite back with the pressure. Oh! Head kick lands for Kareckaite. Kareckaite is on fire. Barbosa shoots and fails. The bell ring.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Kareckaite. Overall 29-28, Kareckaite.

Result: Dione Barbosa def. Ernesta Kareckaite via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: Dione Barbosa def. Ernesta Kareckaite at UFC 301: Best photos
Records: Barbosa (7-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Kareckaite (5-1-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Fernando Portella
Judging: Fabio Alves, Sal D’Amato, David Tirelli 29-28.

Jamie Mullarkey vs. Mauricio Ruffy

Round 1 – Big leg kicks by Ruffy to get things started here. Ruffy is chasing here. Good jabs by Ruffy. Very low action fight so far. More jabs by Ruffy. Those are on point tonight. Mullarkey’s nose is bleeding. And a counter right for Ruffy. Two minutes left. Big shots by Ruffy! Things are heating up. Mullarkey with a few combos, but Ruffy dodging all of the shots. Big shot by Ruffy! He’s on point tonight. Oh! Ruffy wobbles Mullarkey! Big knee! Mullarkey falling all over the place while taking shots! It’s over! What a win!

Result: Mauricio Ruffy def. Jamie Mullarkey via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:42
Recap: Mauricio Ruffy explodes Jamie Mullarkey’s nose, beats him down for violent TKO
Photos: Mauricio Ruffy def. Jamie Mullarkey at UFC 301: Best photos
Records: Ruffy (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Mullarkey (17-8 MMA, 5-6 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mike Beltran

Drakkar Klose vs. Joaquim Silva

Round 1 – Klose gets hit with a low blow from Silva. After a few seconds, the fight resumes. Klose pressuring Silva here. One, two by Klose. Klose closes the distance, tries to clinch Silva, but Silva breaks free. Klose back to pressuring Silva. Three minutes left. Nice right hand by Klose. Another one! Very low output from both, but when they throw it’s coming with power. They exchange hooks in close range. One minute left. Silva tags Klose. Good uppercut by Klose. Right hand by Klose. Klose presses Silva against the cage. They break free. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Klose.

Round 2 – Leg kickc by Silva. Klose gets Silva against the cage. Not much going on in terms of damage, but good control from Klose Foot stomps by Klose. The crowd is booing. Three minutes left. Klose still pressing Silva against the cage. Not much going on. A couple of short shots from both. Silva finally breaks free and lands a left hook. Two minutes left. Klose presses Silva again against the cage. The crowd is not happy. A couple of short shots land for Klose. Silva reverses the position and then breaks away. Good left by Klose and he presses Silva again against the cage. The crowd is booing. Knees to the body by Klose. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Klose.

Round 3 – Good jabs by Klose. Big connection by Silva. Silva is pressuing him, looking to land a big shot. A couple of hooks land for Silva. Klose on the backfoot. Jab by Klose. A left hook lands for Silva. He’s tagging up Klose . Klose staying behind his jab, while Silva chases. Klose shoots, but gets caught in a guillotine! It looks tight! Klose slams him backwards. Now Klose is on bottom while guillotined. He scrmables out. Oh! Silva stuns Klose. They scramble again and they end up getting back to their feet. Klose presses Silva against the cage. Nice elbow by Silva. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Silva. Overall 29-28, Klose.

Result: Drakkar Klose def. Joaquim Silva via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos:
Records: Klose (15-2-1 MMA, 9-2 UFC), Silva (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee: Marc Goddard
Judging: Rafael Ferreira, Ben Cartlidge, David Lethaby 29-28. 

Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai

Round 1 – Orolbai pressuing Brener here, not giving him much space. Oh! Nice counter by Brener. Orolbai tags Brener and then takes him down with ease. Orolbai working form guard. Brener scrambles his way out! Again Orolbai tags Brener and attemps a takedown. Brener is successful in his first attempt, but not in the second. Good shots from top by Orolbai. Good control by Orolbai. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Orolbai.

Round 2 – Leg kick by Brener. Oh! Brener gets tagged witha big right from Orolbai. He seems stunned. Orolbai presses him against the cage and then takes him down. Four minutes left. A couple of nice elbows by Orolbai. Heavy shots from Orolbai. Orolbai gets mount. Brener gets back to his feet, but is being pressed against the cage. He breaks free. Body kick by Orolbai. Orolbai shoots and presses Brener against the cage. Brener breaks free, but not for long. Orolbai closes the distance again and clinches him. Relentless pressure by Orolbai. Brenner breaks free. He’s being more effective with his takedown defense right now. Orolbai shoots, takes down Brener, but Brener reverses him and ends on mount! The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Orolbai.

Round 3 – Man, Orolbai looks tired. Brener presses him and takes him down! Brener takes the back of Orolbai! Shots from top by Brener. Brener tries to takedown Orolbai, but Orolbai grabs the fence and avoids being taken down. The action continues, but the referee takes a point from Orolbai. Orolbai reverses the position and takes down Brener. Three minutes left. Orolbai puts Brener in a crusifix,  but Brener gets out and gets top control. Now Orolbai gets out and they’re back to striking. They’re both exhausted. Big left lands for Orolbai. Leg kick by Brener. Left hooks lands for Orolbai. Orolbai drops Brener right before the bell rang.

MMA Junkir scores the round 9-9. Overall 29-27, Orolbai.

Result: Myktybek Orolbai def. Elves Brener via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Photos:
Records: Orolbai (13-1-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Brener (16-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee: Fernando Portella
Judging:

Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Iasmin Lucindo

Round 1 – Good jab by Kowalkiewicz. Two big hooks land for Lucindo! They clinch and Lucindo drops two big knees. Lucindo has Kowalkiewicz on a front headlock now against the fence. She’s connecting a few knees to the head and body. Halfway through the round. Now Lucindo pressing Kowalkiewicz against the cage. Good control here by Lucindo, but little damage in the clinch. Kowalkiewicz breaks free. Good combo by Kowalkiewicz! Lucindo counters with a takedown. She goes straight to mount on Kowalkiewicz. Good shots from Lucindo. The bell rings.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Lucindo.

Round 2 –

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Records: Kowalkiewicz (16-7 MMA, 9-7 UFC), Lucindo (15-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee: Osiris Maia
Judging:

Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore

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Records: Brito (16-3-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), Shore (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee:
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Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig

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Records: Borralho (15-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC), Craig (17-7-1 MMA, 9-7-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee:
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Michel Pereira vs. Ihor Potieria

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Records: Pereira (30-11 MMA, 8-2 UFC), Potieria (21-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee:
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Vitor Petrino vs. Anthony Smith

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Records: Petrino (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC), Smith (37-19 MMA, 12-9 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee:
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Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez

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Records: Aldo (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC), Martinez (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
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Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg

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Records: Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC), Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
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