UFC 301 takeaways: Aldo still elite in late stages of iconic career

Alexandre Pantoja retained the UFC flyweight title for the second time Saturday, defeating Steve Erceg via unanimous decision in the UFC 301 main event in Rio de Janeiro.

In the co-headliner, UFC Hall of Famer and former featherweight champion Jose Aldo was triumphant in his return from retirement, shutting out Jonathan Martinez on home soil.

Here are three takeaways from the pay-per-view event.

Erceg proved in defeat he's a top flyweight

It's difficult for a fighter's stock to go up in a loss as much as Erceg's did. The 27-year-old from Perth, Australia, entered his first UFC title fight less than one year removed from his Octagon debut and having fought in the promotion just three times. Erceg was an unknown fighter on the international stage up until 11 months ago and had never faced a top-10 flyweight. On the flip side, Pantoja has been in the UFC since 2017, trains out of one of the world's top MMA gyms in Florida's American Top Team, and has fought the best of the best.

And yet, Erceg looked like he belonged every step of the way. He arguably landed the biggest strikes of the fight, outstruck Pantoja in two of five rounds, and stopped 10 of Pantoja's 19 takedown attempts. Those aren't bewildering stats by any means, but they're the signs of a competitive fight - Erceg, ranked No. 10 in the division, almost became champion. Saturday's main event came down to a fairly narrow fifth round in which Erceg potentially threw the fight away by going for two ill-advised takedowns and getting reversed both times. He'd be the champ right now if he won the fifth round, and he absolutely could have.

Erceg was just a bit too green to get the job done against Pantoja and complete one of the quickest championship ascensions we've ever seen. Still, it's a tremendous learning experience as he heads back to the drawing board. He proved in 25 minutes that he very much deserved to be there. The man affectionately known as "AstroBoy" will be a tough out for anyone at 125 pounds, and it's all but guaranteed he'll find himself in another UFC title opportunity sooner than later.

Y'all must've forgot, King of Rio edition

The greatest MMA fighter to come out of Rio de Janeiro by a mile, Aldo reigned supreme in his first fight at home in nearly half a decade - and it was a sight to behold.

Aldo spent 20 months away from the Octagon and was the underdog coming into Saturday's co-main event against Martinez. However, he performed as if time stopped as soon as he announced his retirement after a loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 in August 2022. At 37 years old, Aldo was sharp, quick, and as powerful as ever. He didn't miss a freakin' beat in his shutout win.

Can we take a second to acknowledge how impressive - and unlikely - it is for Aldo to be beating top-15 bantamweights in 2024 this late into his Hall of Fame career? Aldo will celebrate the 20-year anniversary of his first professional MMA bout in three months. He first captured the WEC featherweight title - which later became the UFC featherweight title - in 2009. He went on one of the most dominant championship runs in MMA history, recording seven UFC title defenses and two in the WEC.

Aldo hasn't held UFC gold for almost six years, yet he has stayed relevant - at a new weight class, nonetheless. Aldo moved down to bantamweight in 2019 - a decision no one thought would end well - and managed to crack into the top five, beating the likes of Marlon "Chito" Vera and Rob Font. Aldo is now right where he left off two years ago, blanking the UFC's No. 12-ranked bantamweight on the scorecards. This, the absurd longevity that 99.9% of MMA fighters could only dream of having, is one of many reasons Aldo is one of the greatest.

Aldo's now the hottest free agent on the market, and it'll be an interesting few months for "The King of Rio." He revealed during UFC 301 fight week that he had one more fight left on his contract and intended to explore his options. Aldo left the door open on a return to the UFC after beating Martinez, but it's widely known that the Brazilian legend wants to see if there are any lucrative opportunities for him in boxing. He competed in three boxing matches in 2023 but would've needed UFC approval. Now, Aldo can do whatever he wants, even if that means fighting on the Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson undercard in July.

The biggest takeaway after Aldo's triumphant return? This is his world, and we're just lucky to live in it.

'Lionheart' turned disrespect into a 1st-round win

Like most people, I counted out Anthony Smith against Vitor Petrino. Let me say this: I was wrong.

That said, I don't know what to make of Smith's first-round submission win against the previously undefeated Petrino, a 26-year-old Brazilian who was 4-0 in the UFC and on the rise. It was impressive, for sure. But is Smith "back"? Hard to say.

Smith's victory was ultimately rooted in poor decision-making by Petrino, who went for a takedown despite seeming to have an advantage in the striking department and got caught in a guillotine. That's a rookie mistake against a high-level grappler like Smith.

But hey, it was nice to see "Lionheart" get back on track after a rough patch over the last few years and prove almost the entire MMA community wrong. One thing we know for sure is Smith is still a crafty veteran capable of setting back light heavyweight prospects in the blink of an eye. Maybe it's time for the "Smith should retire" crowd - I include myself here - to take a seat.