The UFC is the worldwide chief of combined martial arts promotions, they usually’re synonymous with placing on record-shattering occasions with big-time fights. So, it shouldn’t be a shock that they went all out to have fun UFC 300 — a flagpole card — identical to they did with UFC 200 and 100.
UFC 300 takes place on the T-Cellular Enviornment in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, April 13. On the time of this writing, 13 matches that includes champions, fan favorites, beloved veterans, and extremely touted prospects are scheduled. And the hype is actual.
“There was clearly a stage of expectation for this card,” UFC CEO Dana White stated in a promo trailer for the occasion. “How will we make this card not solely totally different, however higher than 100 and 200? And the reply to that’s: the best card ever assembled within the historical past of fight sports activities. Not within the historical past of the UFC, within the historical past of fight sports activities — there has by no means been a card that was higher than this high to backside.”
Out of the 26 combatants competing at UFC 300, 12 are present or former champions and 7 are within the promotion’s pound-for-pound rankings. Greater than half of the fighters are sitting within the high 15 of their respective divisions — yeah, it doesn’t get a lot better than this.
So, who’s combating, and what time do the fights air on Apri 13? Let’s have a look.
Fundamental Card
Right here’s who might be on the pay-per-view portion of UFC 300 — the primary names on the checklist will open the principle card and the final names will function the occasion’s headlining act.
Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage — Middleweight
Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan — Light-weight
Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway — “BMF” championship and light-weight
Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan — Ladies’s strawweight championship
Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill — Gentle heavyweight championship
The primary card will start on ESPN+ PPV at 10 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. PDT.
The primary occasion options Pereira’s first title protection because the 205-pound kingpin. He’s drawn Hill, the person that held the sunshine heavyweight title previous to “Poatan.” He vacated it after rupturing his Achilles tendon final yr, and Pereira snagged it by knocking out Jiri Prochazka in November. The co-main occasion options the first-ever China vs. China UFC title battle. Recent off the primary title protection of her second run because the 115-pound queen, Zhang will duel the division’s subsequent contender, Yan, who’s bolstered by a two-fight win streak.
The primary card’s featured bout is the third “Baddest Motherf*****” ceremonial title battle. Gaethje turned the UFC’s “BMF” by knocking out Dustin Poirier, and he’ll look to defend the belt towards former UFC featherweight champion Holloway, who’s leaping again as much as 155 kilos.
Former UFC light-weight champion Oliveira is on the hunt to win again his outdated belt. And to take action, he’ll must halt the momentum of the surging Tsarukyan. And to start out issues off on PPV, Nickal will clock in because the promotion’s hottest prospect, and he’ll put his undefeated 5-0 report on the road towards seven-fight UFC veteran Brundage.
Preliminary Card
Earlier than the principle card drops on PPV, the outrageously stacked preliminary card will air on ESPN correct and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT. Right here’s who’s on it, beginning with the opening conflict.
Sodiq Yusuff vs. Diego Lopes — Featherweight
Holly Holm vs. Kayla Harrison — Ladies’s bantamweight
Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling — Featherweight
Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic — Gentle heavyweight
Right here’s some data about every contest.
Yusuff vs. Lopez is a enjoyable 145-pound battle that includes two dynamic finishers. However, what comes after is likely one of the highest-stake matches of the evening between former ladies’s bantamweight champion Holm and two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka and ex-Skilled Fighters League queen Harrison. For years, followers have waited for Harrison to make her UFC debut, and he or she’ll do it towards “The Preacher’s Daughter,” one of many UFC’s greatest stars. Don’t be stunned to see the winner earn a title shot for her subsequent outing.
Then, we’ve bought Sterling, whom some regard as the best 135-pound fighter in UFC historical past, shifting as much as 145 kilos to start a marketing campaign towards profitable his second divisional title. However first, he must get previous a longtime top-10 athlete in Kattar.
The preliminary card will wrap with Prochazka making his return after shedding to Pereira. He’ll welcome again Rakic, a well-respect title menace who has been on the shelf since injuring his knee in 2022. Until the group decides to go together with Magomed Ankalaev, whoever wins between Prochazka and Rakic will seemingly obtain a crack at UFC 300’s important occasion victor.
Early Preliminary Card
UFC 300 will start with the early preliminary card, and that’ll begin broadcasting from the T-Cellular Enviornment at 6 p.m. EDT/3 p.m. PDT. Sticking with the blockbuster occasion’s theme, the early preliminary card is brimming with huge names and former champions. Right here’s who’s combating, starting with the duo jerking the curtain.
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt — Bantamweight
Bobby Inexperienced vs. Jim Miller — Light-weight
Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez — Ladies’s strawweight
Jalin Turner vs. Renato Moicano — Light-weight
The UFC’s pulled no punches with this card — they’re beginning it with a banger between two former champions. Figueiredo’s days as a 125-pound combatant are seemingly behind him as he’s made a transfer north of the division he dominated. And he’ll try to earn a second win at bantamweight by disrupting Garbrandt’s redemption story and two-fight win streak.
After that may be a battle between two beloved lightweights, Inexperienced and Miller, and it’s a match the MMA group rallied between. Inexperienced is on a mission to get again into the win column whereas Miller has his eyes set on turning into a ranked identify. An anecdote to this battle is that Miller, who holds the report for many Octagon appearances, competed at each UFC 200 and 100 (he gained each contests). He’s the one fighter to indicate up for all three occasions.
Ex-women’s strawweight ruler Andrade and No. 6-ranked Rodriguez plan to proceed their momentum within the 115-pound division and hopefully earn a top-contender affair quickly. However, contemplating they each not too long ago ended shedding streaks, getting their hand raised at UFC 300 is paramount for his or her championship desires.
And to usher within the preliminary card, Turner and Moicano will symbolize the talent-stacked light-weight rankings. And with Turner at No. 10 and Moicano at 13, the person who leaves the black cage triumphant will look ahead to one other match that’ll edge them nearer to contender standing.
There you might have it — UFC 300 is not any joke. Though there isn’t a celebrity like Conor McGregor or Jon Jones on the high of the invoice, the cardboard is an absolute dream for MMA followers worldwide. And fortuitously, it’ll be reside this Saturday evening.
We Obtained This Coated is supported by our viewers. Once you buy by way of hyperlinks on our web site, we might earn a small affiliate fee. Be taught extra
