UFC’s landmark event will take place this weekend at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and as you would expect, the card is absolutely stacked with highly anticipated fights every fan wants to see. UFC 300 has the potential to be the biggest event of the year and hopefully we will be gifted with candidates for ‘fight of the year’.
A few months ago when the UFC 300 main event was still under discussion, majority of fans (myself included) anticipated Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the octagon. Dana White endeavoured to make this happen but ultimately was unsuccessful as the Irishman was busy promoting the movie ‘Roadhouse’ which featured his on-screen debut. Hence, White had to scramble for a main event that was worthy of this historic affair. Ample fans don’t believe ‘Pereira vs Hill’ fits the bill — some even calling it ‘average’ and comparing it with previous main events.
Oliveira vs Tsarukyan
UFC 300 features a lightweight bout to determine the #1 contender who will potentially face the winner of ‘Makachev vs Poirier’ at some point down the road, former champ Charles Oliveira takes on Arman Tsarukyan (ranked 4th in the division). This will be an exciting fight as fans get to witness Oliveira’s highly anticipated return to the Octagon since his last victory over Beneil Dariush back in June 2023.
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist holds the record for most finishes in UFC history (20) and most submission victories (16). Oliveira is also a master at striking and was even acknowledged as the ‘hardest puncher in the division’ according to Justin Gaethje (ranked 2nd in the division). Coming into UFC 300, Arman Tsarukyan has won 7 of his last 8 fights and has never looked better. The Armenian fighter has already lost once against Oliveira early on his career, however he has recently stated that he is a ‘different fighter from back then’.
Tsarukyan also packs a punch, boasting 9 wins by knockout. Despite this, the Armenian’s strengths lie in his grappling as he often chooses to engage in the clinch and attempt to drag his opponents to the ground. I could see this fight starting off at a high tempo, with both fighters going at each other in standing fight because it would be risky for either one to try and change levels to the ground as both have excellent takedown defence and are lethal with submissions.
I think this fight will not reach the judges’ scorecard because I anticipate both fighters to go for the finish right from the first round. Despite the long layoff and potential ring-rust Oliveira might possess, I still back him to beat Tsarukyan for the second time because he is a very experienced fighter who rarely makes mistakes. The Brazilian is usually composed, measured and clinical when he senses blood and although Arman has become a formidable fighter, I do not believe he has the technical ability nor the fight IQ to match the former champ. Therefore, I’m going with an Oliveira finish early in the second round.
Gaethje vs Holloway
This fight is a bit of a strange one, to say the least. It’s a dream match worthy of the UFC 300 main card that majority of fans would love to watch…maybe just not at this point in time. Let me explain — Justin Gaethje is ranked 2nd in the lightweight division and his counterpart Max Holloway is ranked 2nd in the featherweight division. Oliveira who is currently ranked 1st in the lightweight division lost against Makachev last year, therefore logically Gaethje should be next in line for a title shot against the Dagestani.
The two have never fought and this would make a compelling title fight as Gaethje is one of the toughest guys in the lightweight division — Makachev’s coach and former UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov even admitted the American ‘hits like a truck’. Similarly in the featherweight division, Newly crowned champ Illia Topuria defeated his predecessor Alexander Volkanovski (currently 1st ranked) in Feb, therefore Topuria’s next title defence should be against the 2nd ranked Max Holloway.
Again, the pair have never fought and Holloway is an extremely experienced fighter who could easily end the Spaniard’s brief title reign. At any other point in time, fans would have been extremely excited to see this fight especially because it is between two monsters in their respective divisions and inter-division clashes of this magnitude are a rarity in the UFC.
I could still see both these guys obtaining a title shot in their divisions at some point next year depending on the outcomes of the title fights and their ability to maintain their current ranking. UFC 300 will be providing one of the best fights this year so for now, let’s just forget about rankings and titles while we enjoy two gladiators colliding.
Max Holloway (32 years old) is a veteran in the world of mixed martial arts and is currently #14 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings. The Hawaiian is also a former featherweight champion and has even competed for the interim lightweight title back in 2019. Holloway has the heart of a champion and has never given up on himself inside the Octagon. He is always prepared to fight anyone at any moment and is one of the most technically gifted fighters there are.
He times his jabs, hooks and kicks to perfection and although his defence may not be the best, he is often saved by his crimson chin. He is one of my favourite fighters in the UFC and as much as I want him to win this fight, I believe Gaethje will slightly have the edge over him. Surprisingly Justin Gaethje (35 years old) is older than Holloway and is arguably in his prime right now.
The American’s last victory was against Poirier via a brutal head-kick in July 2023. Gaethje is a former interim lightweight champion and is a complete fighter — he throws heavy hooks and jabs, can grapple on the ground if needs to and is very accurate in his leg and body kicks. I think Gaethje possess otherworldly power which will ultimately aid him in victory. My gut says the fight may go the distance, however Gaethje will pick up the win.
Weili vs Xiaonan
An event as big as UFC 300 is incomplete without at least one title fight and lucky for us, we get two. In a women’s bout for the strawweight title, we will see two fellow-countrywomen (China) Zhang Weili defend her championship against #1 contender Yan Xiaonan. Weili (34 years old) has a long history of fighting in the UFC.
She made her debut in 2018 and is currently a two-time strawweight champion. Weili boasts an outstanding record of 24 wins and just 3 losses — impressively, she has 11 wins by knockout, 8 wins by submission with 11 of those finishes coming in the first round. It’s no wonder she’s a two-time champ. Yan Xiaonan has been climbing the ranks over the last few years and has gained notoreity during that time. Xiaonan holds a record of 17 wins and 3 losses with 8 wins coming via first-round knockouts.
The challenger has a 45% striking accuracy and 61% takedown accuracy. It will be an interesting fight and no doubt the fight will be fast paced involving a combination of wrestling and striking. Although Xiaonan’s record is impressive, I believe the experience of Weili and her ability to adapt her offensive approach against different opponents will eventually give her the upper hand. I think Zhang Weili will successfully defend the strawweight title and the fight won’t go the distance as I can see both fighters going for a finish in each round.
Pereira vs Hill
UFC 300’s main event is headlined by a light heavyweight title bout between #4 pound-for-pound fighter Alex Pereira and challenger ‘Sweet dreams’ Jamahal Hill. Hill officially has 12 wins and one loss in the UFC, however many still consider him undefeated because his only loss came via a broken arm he suffered against Paul Craig. In January 2023, Hill defeated Glover Teixeira to become the interim light heavyweight champion but later had to vacate the title due to injury.
Since Hill never lost the title in a competitive fight, it makes sense that his return to the octagon would be greeted with the opportunity to reclaim his prize at UFC 300. The American mixed martial artist is a scary opposition to face inside the octagon, in all his previous fights, he walked down his victims and constantly attacked using clinical combinations of hooks, jabs and sharp knees.
During Hill’s dominant win streak, he won 7 of his fights via knockout. Unsurprisingly 4 of these finishes came in the first round. Hill enjoys standing tall and trading shots on his feet, amassing a staggering 55% striking accuracy. I am extremely intrigued to see if Hill’s powerful punches are as nuclear as Pereira’s.The champion Alex Pereira has only been in the UFC for about two-and-a-half years and has already won two major championships.
The Brazilian was the former middleweight champion where he was involved in some of the division’s most exciting fights in recent memory against former champion Israel Adesanya. The champ has a record of 9 wins and 2 losses (one in the UFC) with 7 of those wins coming via knockout. Pereira is known for his accurate striking, boasting a 62% striking accuracy and landing almost twice as many shots as he absorbs.
We have seen how powerful his punches are and he currently might be the hardest hitter in all of UFC. I believe this is going to be a standing fight where neither fighter backs down from the centre of the octagon, trading blows until one of them drops. I believe Hill’s forward approach which has worked well for him all this time will eventually cost him the fight.
Because as he chases the win and backs Alex up against the cage, all ‘Poatan’ needs is a sturdy left-hook to catch the American. The toughness of both fighters’ chins will be tested and I am looking forward to it. Like majority of fights set to take place at UFC 300, I don’t see this one going to the judges’ scorecard and instead would not be surprised at a first round knockout in favour of Pereira.
