It may no longer be the Conor McGregor show, but Saturday's UFC 303 card in Las Vegas remains one of the better looking lineups of the year.

After the Irishman suffered an injury in training, causing the cancellation of his main event fight with Michael Chandler, the UFC scrambled to find a new headliner for the card.

Ultimately, it landed on a light heavyweight title rematch between champ Alex Pereira and challenger Jiri Prochazka. It will be the second time the two fan favorites have met, after the Brazilian knocked out Prochazka in a fight for the vacant belt last November.

The co-headliner also came together on short notice. It will be contested at featherweight, with former title challenger Brian Ortega taking on the fast-rising Diego Lopes. The pair are two of the best submission specialists in the division, and both possess dangerous striking, so all signs point to a thrilling contest.

Earlier on the card, former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith will take on middleweight contender Roman Dolidze in another short-notice scrap.

That will be preceded by a women's bantamweight fight between Mayra Bueno Silva and Macy Chiasson, and a welterweight fight between Michael Page and Ian Machado Garry to kick off the main card.

All told, it looks like a great night of fights, and as always, the B/R combat sports squad has you covered for pre-fight predictions.

Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka

Haris Kruskic: This card isn't what anyone expected a few weeks ago, but that doesn't mean it's a bad one. An Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka rematch is a great alternative.

Pereira is one of the UFC's biggest stars because of his willingness to take on challenges no matter the circumstances. He'll only grow his legacy with a win on Saturday.

Although I absolutely love Prochazka's exciting fight style, he's too risky of a striker for someone of Pereira's ilk. "Poatan" makes him pay for that again.

Prediction: Pereira by KO, Rd. 2

Tom Taylor: I love this fight, but I also hate it, because I don't want to see Pereira or Prochazka lose. They're two of my favorite fighters to watch, and I am certainly not alone in that.

In a way, I'd prefer to see Prochazka even the score with Pereira, because then we'd get to see them fight a third time. But I don't see it happening.

As Haris said, Prochazka tends to take extreme risks on the feet, and while that often leads him to wild knockout wins, it also leaves him open. Against a sniper like Pereira, that's a big problem.

Unless Prochazka leans more heavily on his grappling this time around, I see the rematch unfolding very similarly to the first fight, though I think it will go a bit longer.

Prediction: Pereira by KO, Rd. 3

Lyle Fitzsimmons: I rode with Team Jiri the first time and I'm staying put this time, too, though I realize as I type this it may not be the wisest course. The first fight never really turned into the combative free-for-all that would have suited Prochazka but I'm thinking maybe this time it will and he'll land something, or a series of somethings, that'll necessitate a trilogy.

Prediction: Prochazka by TKO, Rd. 2

Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes

Haris Kruskic: Credit to Brian Ortega for taking this fight. He doesn't have much to gain by beating Diego Lopes, who's 11 spots below him in the rankings. Still, it would be impressive to defeat a rising contender and cement himself as one of the featherweight division's best.

This could be a compelling contest given both competitors' well-rounded game.

Although this is a huge step up for Lopes, momentum is a real factor in fights. There are few people on the entire UFC roster with more momentum than him right now.

Look for Lopes to surge up the line of contenders waiting on a shot at Ilia Topuria.

Prediction: Lopes by unanimous decision

Tom Taylor: Lopes has momentum on his side, and he may turn out to be a future champion, but I think the Brazilian hits a speed bump in Las Vegas this Saturday.

Ortega represents a massive step up in competition, and his recent submission win over Yair Rodriguez suggests he is still in the prime of his fighting life.

I'm expecting this fight to be a lot of fun for as long as it lasts, particularly if it hits the mat, but Ortega will be the more successful fighter overall.

Prediction: Ortega by decision

Lyle Fitzsimmons: Think about how much the MMA narrative would have changed if Ortega was able to force a tap-out from Alex Volkanovski at UFC 266 almost three years ago. He may still be a champion at this point rather than a veteran being fed to a surging prospect. Regardless, I think it's too soon for him to be the fighter that others get over against.

Prediction: Ortega by submission, Rd. 2

Anthony Smith vs. Roman Dolidze

Haris Kruskic: Anthony Smith proved he's not a gatekeeper after his win over Vitor Petrino last month. Now he faces Roman Dolidze, who has lost his last two fights as a middleweight.

This is a close one, but Smith could take advantage of a struggling Dolidze, who's fighting at light heavyweight for the first time since 2020.

It won't be pretty, but the veteran grinds his way to a win.

Prediction: Smith by split decision

Tom Taylor: I don't have particularly high hopes for this fight.

Smith's recent win over Petrino was great, but neither he nor Dolidze have looked like serious title contenders in their divisions lately. And considering this fight was put together on just a few weeks' notice, it's hard to imagine either guy will be in top form.

Having said that, I think Dolidze will be the stronger, more physical fighter in the cage, and he's experienced enough to have answers for most of Smith's veteran tricks on the feet and the mat.

Prediction: Dolidze by unanimous decision

Lyle Fitzsimmons: I'll concede, I don't want the "Lionheart" ride to end just yet. An argument can easily be made that his relevant days are behind him and that there's nothing left to gain, but the same argument could have been made before the Petrino fight, and the guess here is that a rising Dolidze isn't that level of threat. The good old days stick around for another night.

Prediction: Smith by unanimous decision

Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson

Haris Kruskic: I understand people not being high on Mayra Bueno Silva after her unimpressive attempt at dethroning Raquel Pennington in her last outing, but she is a talented fighter despite that effort.

She has more in her toolbox than Macy Chiasson, which should create the submission attempt Bueno Silva's looking for.

Prediction: Bueno Silva by submission, Rd. 2

Tom Taylor: The winner of this fight will probably still be a few steps behind Kayla Harrison in the race for a crack at champion Pennington, but it's a huge fight for the women's bantamweight division.

Chiasson has some of the better firepower in the division, and she could win this one with her striking. But the more likely outcome is that Bueno Silva drags this one to the mat and finishes things there. Quickly.

Prediction: Bueno Silva by submission, Rd. 1

Lyle Fitzsimmons: This one can be considered a fight for who gets to stand in line while Kayla Harrison lights the division on fire, and that's OK. Bueno Silva had her chance at the front of the line and didn't do a whole lot with it. Still, like the others said, she ought to be the boss in this one and get herself back on the winning, albeit waiting, track.

Prediction: Bueno Silva by submission, Rd. 3

Ian Machado Garry vs. Michael Page

Haris Kruskic: This could be an awkward fight. Both Ian Machado Garry and Michael Page want to control distance and prioritize accuracy over volume. I don't expect either to throw out that game plan.

Could this be a fun fight? Sure, but it would require both men to tango. I'm expecting more of a chess match that often feels like a stalemate.

I'll give the slight advantage to Page for the experience alone.

Prediction: Page by split decision

Tom Taylor: I agree with Haris' assessment of this one. It will probably be a bit boring at times, as the two welterweight contenders measure distance and await opportunities to counter.

That being said, I'm still not buying the Garry hype, and I think his reputation as a future champ takes a hit this weekend. We've seen him get rocked before, and Page is one of the most devastating sharpshooters in the game.

I see the Brit putting an end to an otherwise slow fight in wild and unpredictable fashion.

Prediction: Page by KO, Rd. 3

Lyle Fitzsimmons: I'll have to swim upstream on this one, but I am a Garry guy. Sure, his schtick has probably exceeded anything he's done in the cage thus far, but a date with Page gives him a chance to back up the bluster. I agree that it'll probably not be in the running for Fight of the Night, but I think Garry finds ways to land his offense more effectively and more often on the way to a big win.

Prediction: Garry by unanimous decision