Jiri Prochazka leads group of fighters facing high stakes at UFC 303

On the periphery, stuck in purgatory or sitting in no man's land.

However you put it, that's the place no fighter wants to be. And yet, it's exactly where Jiri Prochazká risks ending up should he lose to Alex Pereira in their rematch at UFC 303 on Saturday.

Once the main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, set to headline International Fight Week, had to be transformed after Conor McGregor pulled out against Michael Chandler due to a toe injury, "BJP" stepped up on short notice, hoping to reclaim the light heavyweight title he relinquished in November of 2022.

Prochazká originally won the belt by submitting Glover Teixeira two years ago at UFC 275 but vacated it months later following a shoulder injury. He fought Pereira in his return outing at UFC 295 but lost their vacant title bout via technical knockout after eating a flurry of Pereira elbows late in the second round.

And although the 31-year-old bounced back in a big way, finishing Aleksandar Rakić in two rounds at UFC 300 in April, it's yet to be seen if he can overcome the daunting obstacle that is "Poatan."

Which begs the question, where would a second loss to Pereira leave Prochazká?

The incumbent champ doesn't appear to be going anywhere. He is 3-0 since jumping up to 205 pounds and 7-1 overall in the UFC, already having taken down three of the top five fighters in the division. Which is why it seems unlikely the promotion or fans would be moved by a trilogy fight, even if Prochazká were to rattle off some wins following a UFC 303 loss.

Would that relegate the Czech to a gatekeeper role -- a veteran of the division, more often used as a measuring stick for up-and-coming contenders rather than working towards a real opportunity of his own?

That doesn't seem to do Prochazká's talent justice. His UFC resume, although short at 4-1, has included impressive victories over respected competition, all of which were by stoppage.

The 30-4-1 MMA pro deserves far more than being a barometer for other fighters whilst in his prime, but if he can't avoid another loss to the Brazilian on Saturday, his first steps out of the Octagon might land him in no man's land.

Prochazká won't be the only fighter faced with high stakes in Sin City, as there'll be others on the card with plenty to gain or lose.

Anthony Smith

The always-chatty veteran was one of the late additions to this revamped card and he'll be taking on Roman Dolidze as part of the main card. Smith has been a fixture of the light heavyweight division for quite some time but is far removed from his days of challenging the top of the ranks. The 35-year-old hasn't won consecutive bouts since Sept. 2021, and has lost three of his last five.

However, "Lionheart" could put an end to all that on Saturday by seeing his arm raised. Smith, a former title challenger, is currently the 10th-ranked fighter in the 205-pound division, and to his credit is coming off a notable first-round submission win that handed rising prospect Vitor Petrino his first loss. Another big victory would be the momentum he needs to dispel any remaining doubts about his standing amongst his contemporaries.

Smith won't have many excuses for a loss either, as Doldize is a natural middleweight, accepted the fight on shorter notice than him and enters Saturday off back-to-back losses. Although the Georgian has competed at light heavyweight before, including his first two UFC outings, Doldize's four-fight win streak came at 185 pounds before he had it snapped last year.

Mayra Bueno Silva

The Brazilian enters the night hoping to regain the momentum she built and quickly lost earlier in the year. After beating former bantamweight champion Holly Holm via second-round submission -- despite it later being ruled a no-contest due to a positive banned substance test -- Bueno Silva got her first title shot.

But in the UFC 297 co-main bout in January, "Sheetara" got handily dispatched by reigning belt holder Raquel Pennington in a unanimous decision loss. The 32-year-old is still the No. 3-ranked contender in the division, not having entered the Octagon since that beatdown in Toronto, so all hope in another opportunity is not lost. But if she loses to No. 7 Macy Chiasson on Saturday, it'll be a different conversation.

Ian Machado Garry and Michael Page

Both Europeans are undefeated in the UFC and are rapidly painting themselves into the welterweight title picture.

Ironically, the more seasoned Page enters the contest with less UFC experience. "MVP," despite boasting a 22-2-0 record as a pro, is coming off his UFC debut at 299 in March. The longtime Bellator MMA athlete quickly jumped into the UFC's 170-pound rankings, at No. 14, after a convincing win over division fixture Kevin Holland as he earned judges' decision.

Meanwhile, Machado Garry, although 11 years younger than Page enters the matchup with a more extensive UFC resume. The Irishman made his promotional debut in 2021 at an undefeated 7-0 and has remained flawless by winning seven consecutive contests. His latest victory, although not as convincing as some of his others, was still a worthwhile split decision over No. 10 Geoff Neal.

A win will go a long way to propel both fighters into serious title contender status. For Page, who's in the later stages of his career as a 37-year-old, it shows he's got enough left in the tank to make a claim for the belt. A matchup against fellow countryman and title holder Leon Edwards could prove more intriguing to the UFC than some of the other options on the leaderboard. And for Machado Garry, taking down the seasoned entertainer and newest test in the division would very clearly make it known that "The Future" might be approaching soon.

Joe Pyfer

After beginning his UFC tenure with three consecutive stoppage victories, "Bodybagz" is looking to get back on track after losing his first UFC contest. Headlining a Fight Night card against Jack Hermansson in February, the 27-year-old ended up on the wrong side of all three judges' scorecards. A second consecutive loss, this time at the hands of seasoned Marc-Andre Barriault, could derail his momentum altogether. But a big win? That likely puts the hype train back on schedule and keeps Pyfer a name to watch in the 185-pound division.

Canadian contingent

Speaking of Barriault, he'll be one of three fighters from north of the border representing the red and white on Saturday. The 35-year-old and Charles Jourdain (who'll be fighting 12-2 Jean Silva) have plenty to gain with wins at 303 as they're both hoping to avoid back-to-back losses.

Both Quebec natives fought at UFC 297 in Toronto and came away with split decision losses, albeit competitive ones. Neither has chained together much momentum since debuting for the promotion, besides a couple two-fight win streaks, and losing on a second consecutive pay-per-view card would surely tank their prospects even further.

Meanwhile, Gillian Robertson was one of just two Canadians to win on home soil in January. The Niagara Falls, Ont., native will look to follow up her second-round TKO victory as she takes on Michelle Waterson-Gomez in a strawweight bout originally scheduled for UFC 302.

Robertson always makes for entertaining fights, as 11 of her 16 contests under the banner have ended by stoppage -- nine of which she was on the right side of. Her emphatic win over Polyana Viana at UFC 297 earned a Performance of the Night bonus, her second such bonus in her past three fights.

Taking down the No. 14 women's strawweight in a similar fashion wouldn't just earn Robertson another win bonus and improve her overall UFC record to 11-6, it'd move her higher up on the division leaderboard and mark her fourth victory in five bouts.