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The UFC visited Rio de Janeiro last night for a pay-per-view that was slightly flying under the radar following last month's blockbuster event.
UFC 301: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg didn't have a lot in terms of name value, but the action on the night itself generally delivered the goods, with a number of fun finishes on tap.
So what were the biggest talking points from Rio last night and what kind of ramifications could this event have?
Here are five takeaways from UFC 301: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg.
#5 How far can Michel Pereira really go in the UFC's middleweight division
One of last night's biggest winners was undoubtedly Michel Pereira. 'Demolidor' needed just 54 seconds to dispatch Ihor Potieria with a guillotine choke in one of the most explosive showings in recent memory.
After dropping 'The Duellist' with an early flurry, Pereira then used a signature backflip guard pass to get into a dominant position, and then locked up the finishing guillotine moments later.
The win earned Pereira his third $50k bonus in a row, and the Brazilian is now on an eight-fight win streak, with three of those wins coming at 185 pounds. So how far can he go in the UFC's middleweight division?
On one hand, he's still largely untested at the weight, and it's unlikely that this win allows him to break the top-15. On the other hand, though, there aren't many more explosive fighters in the division and it's not a stretch to suggest he could take out the likes of Paul Craig, Chris Curtis and Anthony Hernandez, all of whom are ranked.
Essentially, 'Demolidor' is just hitting his prime now and so it's time for the UFC to really test him next time out, as he could be a sleeper contender at 185 pounds.
#4 Anthony Smith slams the gate shut on another prospect
Five years down the line from his failed title shot against Jon Jones, Anthony Smith has developed into one of the UFC light-heavyweight division's toughest gatekeepers.
Last night, 'Lionheart' proved why he's still a remarkably difficult test for young fighters by closing the proverbial gate on another hot prospect in the form of Vitor Petrino.
In this instance, Petrino probably caused his own downfall. 'Icao' decided to shoot for a double leg while leaving his neck wide open, and Smith instantly latched onto a fight-ending guillotine choke to force the tapout.
However, given 'Lionheart' was badly knocked out by Khalil Rountree in his last bout, it was still impressive to see a fighter who has been around since 2008 turn back the challenge of a young prospect like this.
Smith is no longer a title contender at 205 pounds, but he's still clearly ready to show up-and-comers that they might not be ready for the next level - and the question now is which prospect will be next for him.
#3 Caio Borralho is ready for a top-10 opponent at middleweight
When a fighter continually delivers highlight-reel finishes, it isn't hard for both the fans and the UFC itself to get hyped over them. Naturally, these fighters tend to land on the fast-track to the top.
For fighters who aren't quite so flashy, though, the process can take far longer. Take Caio Borralho, for instance. 'The Natural' came into his fight with Paul Craig last night riding a 15-fight unbeaten streak, with five of those wins coming in the octagon.
However, as just one of those wins had come via finish, the Brazilian was still largely going under the radar with most observers. That should change now.
Borralho looked phenomenal last night, dominating 'The Bearjew' and then stopping him in the second round with a violent flurry of shots that began with a knee strike to the jaw that would've knocked most fighters out instantly.
With this knockout, 'The Natural' now has the highlight finish he needed to take the next step, and judging by this, his fighting skills make him ready for a top-10 opponent next time out too.
With any luck, the UFC will give him that, and we'll see whether he can be a genuine title contender at 185 pounds. Based on his win over Craig, there's every chance he can be.
#2 Will Jose Aldo re-sign with the UFC and if he does, what's next?
The biggest fight at UFC 301 for many fans wasn't the flyweight title headliner, but was actually the return bout for former featherweight kingpin and Hall of Famer Jose Aldo.
'The King of Rio' made his return against Jonathan Martinez, and despite not having fought since 2022, he looked excellent. He outstruck 'The Dragon' for three straight rounds with no real issues, and came relatively close to a finish after stunning him in the third round, too.
The big question now is what should come next for Aldo? The bout with Martinez was the final one on his contract, and coming into the fight, he'd stated that he'd turned down a long-term deal with the UFC.
At that point, the word was that Aldo wanted to potentially explore boxing avenues, but in his post-fight promo last night, he suggested he wants to continue fighting in the octagon.
If that's the case, Aldo still has plenty to offer judging by how he looked. More to the point, there's no reason for Dana White and company to use him as a gatekeeper, either.
There are two ready-made fights for him against two other ageing former champions in Dominick Cruz and Henry Cejudo, and beyond that, who knows? Overall, it was just good to see him back last night.
#1 How much longer can Alexandre Pantoja's body hold up when he keeps fighting wars?
It probably wouldn't be unfair to call Steve Erceg one of the most unheralded UFC title challengers of all time. Prior to his bout with flyweight kingpin Alexandre Pantoja last night, 'Astro Boy' had just three octagon wins to his name, and nothing he'd done suggested he could topple 'The Cannibal'.
However, for the third fight in a row, Pantoja ended up being pushed to his limit, as the Aussie simply wouldn't wilt in the face of some serious pressure at times.
Erceg used his sharp boxing to open up some nasty cuts on the Brazilian with his hands and elbows, and continually pushed the pace on the feet. Realistically, were it not for Pantoja's willingness to trade and big grappling advantage, we could've seen one of the biggest upsets in recent memory last night.
Judging by this, Erceg should be around near the top for years to come. But what of Pantoja? This was the third five-round war in a row for 'The Cannibal', and at the age of 34, such fights must be taking their toll on his body.
The Brazilian walked away with his title last night and now has two successful defenses to his name. However, at this rate, Father Time is going to catch up with him more quickly than he might like. Depending on who's next for him, seeing him lose his crown next time out wouldn't be a major shock.
