We asked AI to predict the winner of UFC 303: Alex Pereira vs. Jiří Procházka 2 (and it had a shocking reply)
UFC 303 will feature a light heavyweight title fight. Gemini, an AI chatbot developed by Google, offered its prediction of Alex Pereira vs. Jiří Procházka, and its take on how the rematch will unfold was unexpected, to say the least. The two men will meet in a fairly quick turnaround, having both competed at UFC 300.
Despite their appearances at UFC 300, they did not fight each other at the event. Instead, 'Poatan' defended his 205-pound belt against former champion Jamahal Hill, knocking him out within a round. Meanwhile, 'Denisa' TKO'd Alexander Rakić in round two of their grudge match.
Check out the promo video for the UFC 303 headliner:
However, each man's win was not equal to the other. Pereira was relatively untouched by Hill, who he knocked out with supreme ease. Meanwhile, Procházka had a far more difficult fight with Rakić. Nevertheless, the AI prediction for the rematch between the pair was definitive.
While it acknowledged that selecting a winner with absolute certainty was impossible, Gemini still lobbied its support behind Procházka, predicting him to win via TKO in the later rounds. Despite the Czech samurai's prior loss to 'Poatan,' the AI believes that Procházka was merely caught off guard by Pereira's power.
It reasons that Procházka's adaptability, toughness, the short-notice nature of the fight, and Pereira's known issues with grappling, will factor into the bout. It is a curious assessment, as Procházka isn't actually known for adaptability. He approaches every fight the same way.
He doesn't develop game plans specific to his opponent or implement mid-fight adjustments in response to a tactical issue. Furthermore, the bout being on short notice could also favor Pereira, as he took far less damage than Procházka at UFC 300, which would give the Czech samurai little time to recover.
Who won the first fight between the UFC 303 headliners?
While the AI predicted a Jiří Procházka win come Saturday, their first fight went differently. Although 'Denisa' found moments of success, he spent large chunks of round one unable to counter Alex Pereira's low kicks. He did, however, find success with a surprise takedown that enabled him to rack up control time.
Nevertheless, he mounted no offense on the mat, as he was wrist-tied by Pereira. In round two, he was countered by a check left hook as he was lunging in with combinations. The punch dropped him, and he was subsequently TKO'd by elbows from Pereira, though the stoppage remains controversial.