UFC 300 fight day preview: 34 random facts and storylines | Pereira vs. Hill

After months of mixed martial arts (MMA) sludge and a few decent events, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) remains in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC 300. It’s FINALLY here!

In the pay-per-view (PPV) main event, Light Heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, defends the 205-pound strap against former division roost-ruler, Jamahal Hill, who never officially lost the belt (in the cage). In UFC 300’s co-main event, women’s Strawweight champion, Zhang Weili, takes on fellow countrywoman, Yan Xiaonan.

UFC 300 is the best card (see it here) that the promotion has ever put together and is absolutely stacked from the first “Prelims” undercard bout to the PPV main event. So, before it all goes down later this evening (Sat., April 13, 2023) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, let’s checkout some random storylines, tidbits and statistics ahead of showtime ...

11,111

UFC 300 will take place 11,111 days after UFC 1, which took place on Nov. 11, 1993. The historic event will also be the 687th UFC fight card to take place.

(Not) UFC 300

UFC 300 is not the 300th-numbered event. In actuality, it is the 302nd-numbered event because three numbered events were canceled: UFC 151, UFC 176 and UFC 233. In addition, there were random .”5” events back in the day (e.g. UFC 35.5).

But, who really cares, right?

HISTORY

There are 12 former, interim and/or current UFC champions competing at UFC 300.

Phenomenal ‘Poatan’

In seven UFC fights, Pereira has become a UFC champion in two divisions, headlined Madison Square Garden (twice), defeated four former UFC champions, and is now headlining UFC 300.

When you really think about it, those accolades are genuinely incredible, especially since most of his combat sports career was in kickboxing.

Never Lost It

“Sweet Dreams” Hill never lost the Light Heavyweight championship, but he relinquished it after tearing his Achilles during 2023 International Fight Week.

Returning to competition after just nine months is a crazy feat, but Hill somehow pulled it off ... right?

Hill is riding a four-fight win streak with three finishes.

Revenge For Coach

After Hill defeated Glover Teixeira for the vacant Light Heavyweight title (watch highlights), Pereira — who was in his coach’s corner — looked at Hill like he wanted to exact immediate revenge; fortunately, he waited until this weekend.

China Vs. China ... In Vegas?

UFC 300’s co-main event features two fighters from China, but for some reason, they are not fighting in China. UFC has not been to China since 2019, when Zhang won the Strawweight title from Jessica Andrade (watch it).

The promotion was trying to return to China last year, but the event got canceled.

‘Magnum’ Back In Vegas

The last time Weili competed in “Sin City” was UFC 248 in 2020, which happened to be her iconic showdown with Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Since then, the Chinese fighter has fought all over the world.

BMF!

The “Baddest Motherfu—er” (BMF) belt will make its third appearance at UFC 300. Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal battled for the inaugural belt at UFC 244 back in Nov. 2019. Then, it was revived at UFC 291 last year in Salt Lake City, Utah, between Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje.

Gaethje defends against Max Holloway.

Gambling A Title Fight Away?

Gaethje earned a Lightweight title shot last year with the epic Poirier knockout; however, instead of sitting on the sidelines and waiting for division champion, Islam Makhachev, Gaethje decided to gamble away his title shot this weekend. If he loses to Holloway, his Lightweight title shot is gone; however, with a win, he’s still in contention.

Lightweight Max

Holloway will be returning to Lightweight to challenge Gaethje for the “BMF” title after eight fights at Featherweight. The last time Holloway fought at Lightweight was against Poirier at UFC 236, losing a lopsided unanimous decision for UFC’s interim Lightweight championship.

Four Years

When Holloway steps in the cage on Saturday, it will literally be four years to the day from when “Blessed” last competed at Lightweight — UFC 236 (April 13, 2019).

Max Gets His Wish

Holloway has been asking for custom floral shorts for a few years now, and he got them for UFC 300.

Winner Gets Next

According to UFC CEO, Dana White, the winner of Arman Tsarukyan vs. Charles Oliveira will become the next title contender, so the stakes of the 155-pound bout are huge.

Oliveira got back into the win column by running through Beneil Dariush (watch it). Tsarukyan also starched Dariush in his last fight (see it), improving his win streak to three.

Massive Dog

UFC mega prospect, Bo Nickal, opens the PPV card against Cody Brundage. As of this writing, Brundage is one of the biggest underdogs in UFC history, going as high as +1100.

Nickal is a -2100 favorite, and while he’s not as big a favorite as he was in his second UFC fight, he is still a massive favorite.

‘Rocket’ Returns

It has been 22 months since Aleksandar Rakic tore his ACL against Jan Blachowicz at UFC Vegas 54. Before his injury, Rakic was climbing toward a Light Heavyweight title shot, but so much has changed since his injury, including two new champions.

Regardless, with a win at UFC 300, Rakic puts himself right back at the top of the division. “Rocket” faces Jiri Prochazka.

Samurai Mind Games

Rakic declared his fight with Prochazka for the “King of Europe” because both fighters reside in Europe (Rakic in Austria; Prochazka in Czech Republic).

At UFC 300 Media Day, Prochazka responded and said UFC 300’s showdown is not for the “King of Europe” and that Rakic talks too much, especially about Prochazka being a, “fake samurai.”

“He’s talking too much; he doesn’t know me,” Jiri said. “But, he will know who I am in the cage.”

Mr. Boston Returns

Calvin Kattar returns to action this week after a 17-month layoff. In his last fight against Featherweight contender, Arnold Allen, he destroyed his knee, requiring extensive rehab. Kattar secretly wanted to return at UFC 292, which took place in his hometown of Boston, Mass., but it was just a little too early.

Kattar is riding the first two-fight losing streak of his career.

Goodbye, Bantamweight

After 27 fights at Bantamweight (19 of them in UFC), Aljamain Sterling jumps to the Featherweight division after capturing the Bantamweight title (and destroying his body in the process).

And he looks great.

While we obviously won’t know until the fight starts on Saturday, an un-depleted Sterling could make a dent in the 145-pound division, and a fight with Kattar is a great test. It’s also fascinating because Sterling is a grappling ace, while Kattar boasts terrific takedown defense.

Welcome To UFC!

Only one fighter makes their UFC debut this weekend, former two-time Professional Fighters League (PFL) Lightweight champion, Kayla Harrison (16-1). The two-time Judo Olympian gold medalist holds a 76 percent finish rate with six knockouts and six submissions in MMA.

In addition to making her highly-anticipated debut, she is moving down to Bantamweight, two weight classes below her normal class (see her transformation here).

Harrison faces former Bantamweight champion, Holly Holm. And, with a win, she could jump the line and fight Raquel Pennington for the title.

Top 15 Opportunity

Just three fights into his UFC career, Diego Lopes will get another shot at the Top 15 Featherweight rankings as he takes on No. 13 Sodiq Yusuff. Lopes has been much watch television since entering the promotion on short notice against Movsar Evolev - receiving three “Performances of the Night” bonuses.

Lopes is riding a two-fight winning streak, while Yusuff is coming off his first main event loss against Edson Barboza.

Ranked Lightweights Clash

Jalin Turner puts his No. 10 Lightweight ranking on the line in the early “Prelims” headliner against No. 13-seeded, Renato Moicano.

Turner — fighting on his ninth-numbered UFC card — got back in the win column after destroying Bobby Green at UFC Austin (watch it). Meanwhile, Moicano is riding a two-fight win streak.

The winner of this fight will take a big step forward in UFC’s stacked Lightweight division.

Fighting Friends

Top-ranked women’s Strawweight contenders Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez throw down on the early “Prelims,” and it is interesting because they are friends and have been under the same management several times.

There have been several instances of friends fighting throughout the years, and while sometimes it seems like they are sparring, both Andrade and Rodriguez said at UFC 300 media day they are going to try to knockout each other because the Strawweight title scene is pretty wide open.

10 Years In The Making

Jim Miller vs. Bobby Green is finally happening (KNOCK ON WOOD). The two Lightweights have been scheduled three times before, but it has never happened; in fact, the first time the fight was booked was way back in 2014. UFC tried to book the fight again in 2021 and 2022; however, bad luck struck again.

While it has taken them 10 years to finally collide, the stakes are as high as ever because Green is defending his No. 14 ranking.

Trifecta

On Saturday, Miller will be the only fighter to have competed in UFC 100, UFC 200 and UFC 300. At UFC 100, he defeated Mac Danzig via unanimous decision, and then at UFC 200, Miller stopped Takanori Gomi in the first round.

Will they be going undefeated (3-0) at iconic events this weekend?

Ridiculous Curtain Jerker

In what will probably go down as the “Best First Fight of a UFC Fight Card Ever,” former Flyweight champion-turned ranked Bantamweight contender, Deiveson Figueiredo, takes on former Bantamweight kingpin, Cody Garbrandt.

Two former champions kicking off the card is just nuts ... and it should be a banger.

Rebooked

Figueiredo vs. Garbrandt were initially supposed to collide at UFC 255 in a Flyweight title fight; however, the fight was scrapped because Garbrandt contracted COVID-19.

UFC 300 Fight Leader

The fighter with the most career fights competing at UFC 300 is Miller (57).

UFC Vegas 90 Fight Rookie

The fighter with the least amount of career fights competing at UFC 300 is Nickal (5).

UFC Vegas 90 Knockout King

The fighter with the most amount of career knockouts competing at UFC 300 is Prochazka (25).

UFC Vegas 90 Submission Savant

The fighter with the most amount of career submissions competing at UFC 300 is Oliveira (15).

Winners And Losers

Nineteen fighters are coming off wins, and six are coming off losses. One is coming off a dreaded “No Contest” (Holm).

Multi-Divisions

Here are the divisions that will be on display tonight:

• Two Light Heavyweight fights
• One Middleweight fight
• Four Lightweight fights
• Two Featherweight fights
• One Bantamweight fight
• One Bantamweight fight
• Two Women’s Strawweight fights

Beta Dog

According to Betonline, UFC 300’s “biggest” underdog is Brundage at +900.

LIVE! Watch UFC 300 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

BIGGEST, BADDEST COMBAT SPORTING EVENT! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will make history inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., April 13, 2024, staging the 300th pay-per-view (PPV) event since its inception in 1993. Alex Pereira will put his 205-pound belt on the line in UFC 300’s main event against returning former division roost-ruler, Jamahal Hill. In UFC 300’s co-main event, women’s Strawweight champion, Weili Zhang, will defend against top-ranked contender, Xiaonan Yan, while Justin Gaethje puts his “Baddest Motherf—ker” gimmick belt on the line against former Featherweight deity, Max Holloway, in an all-action Lightweight showdown. UFC 300’s blockbuster PPV main card (see it here) will also feature Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan and Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage. All that and so much more! UFC 300 start time scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (Prelims) and 10 p.m. ET (PPV).

Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!

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