UFC 303: Huge Fight Card Adds Middleweight Banger, Ex-Champ Explains Fast Return
The full card for UFC 303 in Las Vegas is slowly coming together.
Another huge fight has been added to UFC 303, headlined by Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to action for a matchup with Michael Chandler.
The UFC will head back to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on June 29, and with the card’s massive main event already in place fans have been patiently waiting to see what other matchups will be added to help bolster what should be one of the biggest fight cards of the year.
A handful of fights have been announced for the card so far, and now the UFC has also added a middleweight matchup between fan-favorite Joe Pyfer and Marc-André Barriault to the Las Vegas event.
A veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series, Pyfer won his first three UFC bouts via stoppage but came up short in his first UFC Fight Night main event earlier this year when he dropped a unanimous decision to Jack Hermansson.
The matchup between Pyfer and Barriault promises to provide some entertaining striking exchanges for the fans at the T-Mobile Arena, and while that fight is a solid addition to the card the biggest recent news around the event is Jahamal Hill’s quick turnaround to face Khalil Rountree Jr. in a huge light heavyweight contest.
Hill returned from a lengthy injury layoff at UFC 300 and was stopped by Alex Pereira in the opening round of the night’s main event, but “Sweet Dreams” claims that fans shouldn’t be worried by the quick turnaround he’s making to compete at UFC 303.
Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira (red gloves) fights Jamahal Hill (blue gloves)
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
“I took no damage,” Hill said on his YouTube channel. “Most of the fall was me falling down. I remember everything, I remember looking up, seeing his legs. I remember him coming in, trying to block. Trying to reach for the underhook. He was able to land some shots and kind of throw my equilibrium off on the other side. But I was coherent the whole time [for] the most part. So I take this [next fight] on, [we're] moving forward.”
The 32-year-old is understandably eager to get back into action after an Achilles injury cost him the light heavyweight belt and his return was spoiled by Pereira. Rountree will head into UFC 303 with considerable momentum from his current five-fight win streak and could collect the biggest victory of his career against the former champion.
The Hill vs. Rountree matchup is easily the biggest fight that’s been added to UFC 303 outside of the main event, and with the recent announcement of Pyfer vs. Barriault, fans can expect that the UFC will continue booking more fights for that card over the coming weeks.
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