UFC 301 results, highlights: Alexandre Pantoja wins bloody, gritty fight with Steve Erceg to retain title

Pantoja's first fight home in 10 years was a successful one

Welcome home, Alexandre Pantoja. The UFC flyweight champion authored another gritty performance -- something that's becoming his trademark -- on Saturday in his first fight in Brazil in a decade. UFC 301 marked a gratifying homecoming for the champ.

Pantoja left Brazil in 2014 to ply his mixed martial arts craft on the regional U.S. circuit. He soon signed with UFC but hadn't fought on home soil for the promotion in the many years that followed. Pantoja returned to his hometown of Rio de Janeiro on Saturday as UFC flyweight champion, hoping to take the baton from "The King of Rio" Jose Aldo, who fought in the co-main event. Pantoja's victory on Saturday won't produce many highlights but further underlines his unwavering determination.

Pantoja pressured Erceg from start to finish. The champ's in-your-face style earned him a few wounds but coerced the challenger into making key grappling errors. Pantoja sported cuts over both eyebrows by the 25-minute mark, but his persistent takedowns and haymaker punches earned him scorecards reading 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46.

"I think I need to move my head more. These guys are hitting me too much..." Pantoja said in his post-fight interview. "I think I need a little bit of a break. I've fought three times in the past year."

Pantoja's gone 15 full rounds in his three UFC title fights, including a July 2023 title win against Brandon Moreno that many anointed Fight of the Year.

Erceg's camp made a crucial mistake in telling their fighter he was down three rounds heading into Round 5. Erceg notably employed more offensive grappling in Round 5, giving Pantoja key rounds to reverse position. The scorecards revealed that two judges had the fight even heading into the final frame.

"I was surprised how well he could scramble," a dejected Erceg told UFC commentator Daniel Cormier afterwards. "I usually beat guys there so it was a shock.

"I thought if I could win the last round I'd at least give myself a chance. I blew it."

Elsewhere, the "King of Rio" also returned and made it a success as Jose Aldo outpoint Jonathan Martinez to get back in the win column. Aldo walked away from MMA following a 2022 loss to Merab Dvalishvili. But the former featherweight king had one fight left on his deal and was determined to fight out of his contract for free agency. He did just that in spectacular fashion by thwarting a rising contender who had won six fights in a row heading in. Plus, light heavyweight veteran Anthony Smith bounced back in a big way by submitting Vitor Petrino in the first round. And Michel Pereira continued his high-flying act by nearly landing a backflip on Ihor Potieria before locking up a standing guillotine submission in the first round.

CBS Sports was with you the entire way on Saturday bringing you all the results and highlights from the UFC 301 below.

UFC 301 card, results

• Alexandre Pantoja (c) def. Steve Erceg via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
  
• Jonathan Martinez def. Jose Aldo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Anthony Smith def. Vitor Petrino via first-round submission (guillotine choke)
• Michel Pereira def. Ihor Potieria via first-round submission (guillotine choke)
• Caio Borralho def. Paul Craig via second-round KO (punches)
• Joanderson Brito def. Jack Shore via second-round TKO (doctor stoppage)
• Iasmin Lucindo def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Myktybek Orolbai def. Elves Brener via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
  
• Drakkar Klose def. Joaquim Silva via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  
• Mauricio Ruffy def. Jamie Mullarkey via first-round TKO (knee, punches)
• Dione Barbosa def. Ernesta Kareckaite via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Ismael Bonfim def. Vinc Pichel via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Alessandro Costa def. Kevin Borjas via second-round TKO (punches)

[May 5, 2024 at 12:51 am ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Official decision: Alexandre Pantoja def. Steve Erceg via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) to retain the UFC flyweight championship.

[May 5, 2024 at 12:49 am ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg -- Round 5: Erceg looks remarkably fresh considering this is his first five-round fight. Erceg lands a shocking takedown early in Round 5. Pantoja reverses position and takes the back. Erceg back to his feet and grabs the fence on a takedown attempt. He let go quickly, suggesting he knew it was an illegal action. Pantoja pulls him down but Erceg breaks feet soon after. With no strikes thrown, it's anyone's fight with 2:30 left. A cheeky head kick by Erceg. That terrific elbow cuts Pantoja over his right eyebrow now. Pantoja with a hard left hook. A nice leg kick by Pantoja. Erceg hits the elbow and a jab. Erceg shoots for a takedown and gets reversed. Erceg nearly gets to his feet but the champ keeps him down. They're scrambling from position to position as Pantoja lands some strikes. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Pantoja (48-47 Pantoja overall).

[May 5, 2024 at 12:43 am ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg -- Round 4: Pantoja's corner tells him he's up 3-0 while Erceg's corner tells the challenger he's down 0-3. I have it 2-1 for the champ. Erceg immediately applies pressure. Pantoja throws a haymaker and Erceg expertly slips away. Erceg shoots a takedown but doesn't get it. Erceg lands another one of those great inside elbows. An uppercut and left hook land for the challenger. A stellar jab for Erceg. A hard right hand by the champ but Erceg eats it well. A sneaky head kick lands partially for Erceg. The challenger lands a pinpoint right hand followed by a jab. Erceg opens the cut on Pantoja's face and it's trickling into the champ's eye. Pantoja sprawls a takedown attempt. More jabs by Erceg. Pantoja lands nice single blows in blitzes but he's definitely falling behind this round. A nasty uppercut lands by Erceg but the champ eats it like candy. A good left hand late but that round was mostly Erceg's. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Erceg (39-39)

[May 5, 2024 at 12:37 am ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg -- Round 3: Erceg opens with another impressive elbow. Pantoja throws four knees to the body in close. Erceg lands a body kick and Pantoja replies with a hook to the midsection. Erceg and Pantoja land a jab and leg kick, respectively. The champ rips to the body in multiples. A nice straight left by Pantoja. Both men trade hooks in the pocket. The challenger sticks and moves. Pantoja crashes into his challenger. The champ initiates grappling again. Pantoja blocks a left hook and lands his own. Pantoja is more than doubling Erceg in strikes this round. An elbow cuts Pantoja but he nearly gets the takedown. Pantoja is bleeding all over Erceg's face. Pantoja gets the takedown. A scramble results in Pantoja taking Erceg's back with a single hook. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Pantoja (29-28 Pantoja overall).

[May 5, 2024 at 12:30 am ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg -- Round 2: UFC commentator Jon Anik says an accidental head clash split Erceg at the hairline. Pantoja immediately pours on the pressure again. Erceg initially does well to maintain his distance but eventually gets pushed against the fence. Pantoja with a nice knee to the body and they break. Erceg takes the center. The challenger is starting to look more hesitant with his offensive. Pantoja's wild strikes continue to land more than Erceg's clean counters. Erceg starts pumping the jab and it lands. Pantoja punches into a body lock and dumps Erceg on his head. The challenger sweeps and gets to his feet. Erceg lands a great leaping left hook. Erceg shoots for a takedown and gets his head wrapped. Erceg starting to counterstrikes more effectively. Erceg lands a left hand, a hard elbow and another great left hand. The champion blitzes into a takedown attempt but Erceg shucks it off. The challenger is starting to build momentum. Erceg measures with a jab and hits another elbow. Pantoja foces a short brawl. Pantoja eats an elbow to score a takedown. We have a fight, ladies and gentlemen! Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Erceg (19-19 overall). Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Pantoja.

[May 5, 2024 at 12:24 am ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg -- Round 1: Pantoja immediately chases after the challenger. Erceg fends off the first takedown attempt. Erceg is noticeably taller than the champ. Pantoja lands a nice punch but Erceg turns the corner with a sneaky combination. Pantoja attempts to initiate grappling again to no effect. The fighters collide and Pantoja throws a knee up the middle. Erceg is bleeding from the forehead. Pantoja blitzes forward and lands a right hook to the ear. Erceg with a nice jab followed by a precise cross. Pantoja with the leg kick. Erceg responds in kind. Pantoja hits a looping combo and chains it into his first successful takedown. Erceg nearly gets to his feet but Pantoja hits a crushing knee to the sternum and another takedown. Erceg is moving well from his back but Pantoja is sticking to him like glue. The champ opens up with huge ground-and-pound punches. Erceg covers up and gets to his feet. The Brazilian crowd breaks into "Uh Vai Morrer chants," a famous sporting chant that translates to "You will die." Erceg gets to his feet at the end of the round. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Pantoja.

[May 5, 2024 at 12:04 am ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

All that remains is the main event! UFC flyweight champion returns to Brazil for the first time in a decade to defend his title. Pantoja hasn't fought in his home country since leaving in 2014 to fight on the U.S. regional circuit. Pantoja should receive a warm welcome to his hometown against an unlikely contender in Steve Erceg. The Australian fighter, ranked No. 10 by the UFC, looked impressive in three Octagon appearances but was rushed to the title shot after 11 short months with the promotion.

[May 4, 2024 at 11:58 pm ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Official result: Jose Aldo def. Jonathan Martinez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

[May 4, 2024 at 11:55 pm ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Jonathan Martinez vs. Jose Aldo -- Round 3: The fighters embrace to start the final round. A powerful one-two by Aldo. The Hall of Famer looks so sharp at 37. Aldo shoots a takedown but doesn't finish it. Martinez rips a nasty, animated body hook. Aldo appears to be slowing down a bit. A sneaky step in elbow lands for Martinez. Martinez finds the body kick but that only irritates Aldo. The former champ fires a nasty two-punch body combo followed by a knee to the torso. Aldo breaks Martinez's guard with a right hand. Aldo ducks a spinning back fist. It's a close third round but Martinez likely needs a finish in the next two minutes. Aldo rocks Martinez with a left hook to the temple! Martinez covers up as Aldo fires Muay Thai knees. Aldo wisely ragdolls Martinez to the ground instead of forcing the finish. Aldo controls Martinez on the ground and probably sweeps him on the scorecards. It's a standing ovation for "The King of Rio" who returns home and possibly exits the UFC with another win. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Aldo (30-27 Aldo overall).

[May 4, 2024 at 11:49 pm ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Jonathan Martinez vs. Jose Aldo -- Round 2: Aldo opens with a leg kick. A nice jab to the body from the Hall of Famer. Martinez lands a nice jab. Aldo rips a combination to the head and body each time Martinez tries to fire multiples. Martinez takes a rare shot but can't crack Aldo's legendary takedown defense. The referee eventually breaks up the clinch. Martinez succeeds in drawing fire out of Aldo but he's getting the worst of it! A hard hook stuns Martinez as the crowd comes to life. More combos by the legendary featherweight champ. Aldo is leading nearly two-to-one in significant strikes. Martinez gets his bearings before landing a pair of jabs. Aldo throws out the jab to set up a cross that pierces Martinez's guard. A nice cross to the body as well. Martinez lands a nice body kick before partially landing a spinning back fist. Martinez backs Aldo to the fence. Aldo uses feints to draw big reactions out of Martinez and back him up. Each man lands in the pocket! Martinez had his moments but Aldo had more of them. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Aldo (20-18 Aldo overall).

[May 4, 2024 at 11:44 pm ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Jonathan Martinez vs. Jose Aldo -- Round 1: Aldo takes the center off, pumping out a nice jab. Martinez lands a few of his trademark leg kicks to start. Aldo was once renowned for brutal leg kicks but phased them out of his game around 2013. Aldo is making a diligent effort to check the leg kicks but is a split second behind. Both fighters are very defensively sound so far. Aldo lands a solid right cross. Aldo throws a hard leg kick but it's checked. A delightful body book lands for Aldo. The former champ boxed three times during his 20-month MMA retirement and it's showing. A piston of a right-hand lands for Aldo. A pair of jabs by Martinez. Aldo presses forward with a beautiful combination, notably landing a left hook to the body. Aldo's feints are starting to draw reactions from Martinez. A nice leg kick by Aldo the moment Martinez switched from southpaw to conventional stance. Aldo appeared to land the harder blows in a competitive round. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Aldo.

[May 4, 2024 at 11:43 pm ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Jonathan Martinez vs. Jose Aldo -- Round 1: Aldo takes the center off, pumping out a nice jab. Martinez lands a few of his trademark leg kicks to start. Aldo was once renowned for brutal leg kicks but phased them out of his game around 2013. Aldo is making a diligent effort to check the leg kicks but is a split second behind. Both fighters are very defensively sound so far. Aldo lands a solid right cross. Aldo throws a hard leg kick but it's checked. A delightful body book lands for Aldo. The former champ boxed three times during his 20-month MMA retirement and it's showing. A piston of a right-hand lands for Aldo. A pair of jabs by Martinez. Aldo presses forward with a beautiful combination, notably landing a left hook to the body. Aldo's feints are starting to draw reactions from Martinez. A nice leg kick by Aldo the moment Martinez switched from southpaw to conventional stance. Aldo appeared to land the harder blows in a competitive round. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Aldo.