UFC 300 struggle day preview: 34 random info and storylines | Pereira vs. Hill

After months of combined martial arts (MMA) sludge and some respectable occasions, Final Combating Championship (UFC) stays in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC 300. It’s FINALLY right here!

Within the pay-per-view (PPV) primary occasion, Gentle Heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, defends the 205-pound strap towards former division roost-ruler, Jamahal Hill, who by no means formally misplaced the belt (within the cage). In UFC 300’s co-main occasion, ladies’s Strawweight champion, Zhang Weili, takes on fellow countrywoman, Yan Xiaonan.

UFC 300 is one of the best card (see it right here) that the promotion has ever put collectively and is completely stacked from the primary “Prelims” undercard bout to the PPV primary occasion. So, earlier than all of it goes down later this night (Sat., April 13, 2023) inside T-Cellular Area in Las Vegas, Nevada, let’s checkout some random storylines, tidbits and statistics forward of showtime …

11,111

UFC 300 will happen 11,111 days after UFC 1, which happened on Nov. 11, 1993. The historic occasion may also be the 687th UFC struggle card to happen.

(Not) UFC 300

UFC 300 will not be the Three hundredth-numbered occasion. In fact, it’s the 302nd-numbered occasion as a result of three numbered occasions have been canceled: UFC 151, UFC 176 and UFC 233. As well as, there have been random .”5” occasions again within the day (e.g. UFC 35.5).

However, who actually cares, proper?

HISTORY

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

Phenomenal ‘Poatan’

In seven UFC fights, Pereira has develop into a UFC champion in two divisions, headlined Madison Sq. Backyard (twice), defeated 4 former UFC champions, and is now headlining UFC 300.

Whenever you actually give it some thought, these accolades are genuinely unimaginable, particularly since most of his fight sports activities profession was in kickboxing.

By no means Misplaced It

“Candy Desires” Hill by no means misplaced the Gentle Heavyweight championship, however he relinquished it after tearing his Achilles throughout 2023 Worldwide Combat Week.

Returning to competitors after simply 9 months is a loopy feat, however Hill one way or the other pulled it off … proper?

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

Revenge For Coach

After Hill defeated Glover Teixeira for the vacant Gentle Heavyweight title (watch highlights), Pereira — who was in his coach’s nook — checked out Hill like he wished to precise quick revenge; happily, he waited till this weekend.

China Vs. China … In Vegas?

UFC 300’s co-main occasion options two fighters from China, however for some motive, they don’t seem to be combating in China. UFC has not been to China since 2019, when Zhang gained the Strawweight title from Jessica Andrade (watch it).

The promotion was attempting to return to China final 12 months, however the occasion acquired canceled.

‘Magnum’ Again In Vegas

The final time Weili competed in “Sin Metropolis” was UFC 248 in 2020, which occurred to be her iconic showdown with Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Since then, the Chinese language fighter has fought everywhere in the world.

BMF!

The “Baddest Motherfu—er” (BMF) belt will make its third look at UFC 300. Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal battled for the inaugural belt at UFC 244 again in Nov. 2019. Then, it was revived at UFC 291 final 12 months in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah, between Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje.

Gaethje defends towards Max Holloway.

Playing A Title Combat Away?

Gaethje earned a Light-weight title shot final 12 months with the epic Poirier knockout; nevertheless, as a substitute of sitting on the sidelines and ready for division champion, Islam Makhachev, Gaethje determined to gamble away his title shot this weekend. If he loses to Holloway, his Light-weight title shot is gone; nevertheless, with a win, he’s nonetheless in competition.

Light-weight Max

Holloway will likely be returning to Light-weight to problem Gaethje for the “BMF” title after eight fights at Featherweight. The final time Holloway fought at Light-weight was towards Poirier at UFC 236, shedding a lopsided unanimous determination for UFC’s interim Light-weight championship.

4 Years

When Holloway steps within the cage on Saturday, it can actually be 4 years to the day from when “Blessed” final competed at Light-weight — UFC 236 (April 13, 2019).

Max Will get His Want

Holloway has been asking for customized floral shorts for just a few years now, and he acquired them for UFC 300.

Winner Will get Subsequent

In line with UFC CEO, Dana White, the winner of Arman Tsarukyan vs. Charles Oliveira will develop into the following title contender, so the stakes of the 155-pound bout are enormous.

Oliveira acquired again into the win column by working by way of Beneil Dariush (watch it). Tsarukyan additionally starched Dariush in his final struggle (see it), enhancing his win streak to 3.

Large Canine

UFC mega prospect, Bo Nickal, opens the PPV card towards Cody Brundage. As of this writing, Brundage is likely one of the largest underdogs in UFC historical past, going as excessive as +1100.

Nickal is a -2100 favourite, and whereas he’s not as huge a favourite as he was in his second UFC struggle, he’s nonetheless a large favourite.

‘Rocket’ Returns

It has been 22 months since Aleksandar Rakic tore his ACL towards Jan Blachowicz at UFC Vegas 54. Earlier than his harm, Rakic was climbing towards a Gentle Heavyweight title shot, however a lot has modified since his harm, together with two new champions.

Regardless, with a win at UFC 300, Rakic places himself proper again on the prime of the division. “Rocket” faces Jiri Prochazka.

Samurai Thoughts Video games

Rakic declared his struggle with Prochazka for the “King of Europe” as a result of each fighters reside in Europe (Rakic in Austria; Prochazka in Czech Republic).

At UFC 300 Media Day, Prochazka responded and mentioned UFC 300’s showdown will not be for the “King of Europe” and that Rakic talks an excessive amount of, particularly about Prochazka being a, “faux samurai.”

“He’s speaking an excessive amount of; he doesn’t know me,” Jiri mentioned. “However, he’ll know who I’m within the cage.”

Mr. Boston Returns

Calvin Kattar returns to motion this week after a 17-month layoff. In his final struggle towards Featherweight contender, Arnold Allen, he destroyed his knee, requiring in depth rehab. Kattar secretly wished to return at UFC 292, which happened in his hometown of Boston, Mass., nevertheless it was just a bit too early.

Kattar is using the primary two-fight shedding streak of his profession.

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 physique within the course of).

And he appears nice.

Whereas we clearly gained’t know till the struggle begins on Saturday, an un-depleted Sterling may make a dent within the 145-pound division, and a struggle with Kattar is a good take a look at. It’s additionally fascinating as a result of Sterling is a grappling ace, whereas Kattar boasts terrific takedown protection.

Welcome To UFC!

Just one fighter makes their UFC debut this weekend, former two-time Skilled Fighters League (PFL) Light-weight champion, Kayla Harrison (16-1). The 2-time Judo Olympian gold medalist holds a 76 % end fee with six knockouts and 6 submissions in MMA.

Along with making her highly-anticipated debut, she is transferring right down to Bantamweight, two weight lessons under her regular class (see her transformation right here).

Harrison faces former Bantamweight champion, Holly Holm. And, with a win, she may leap the road and struggle Raquel Pennington for the title.

High 15 Alternative

Simply three fights into his UFC profession, Diego Lopes will get one other shot on the High 15 Featherweight rankings as he takes on No. 13 Sodiq Yusuff. Lopes has been a lot watch tv since coming into the promotion on brief discover towards Movsar Evolev – receiving three “Performances of the Night time” bonuses.

Lopes is using a two-fight profitable streak, whereas Yusuff is coming off his first primary occasion loss towards Edson Barboza.

Ranked Lightweights Conflict

Jalin Turner places his No. 10 Light-weight rating on the road within the early “Prelims” headliner towards No. 13-seeded, Renato Moicano.

Turner — combating on his ninth-numbered UFC card — acquired again within the win column after destroying Bobby Inexperienced at UFC Austin (watch it). In the meantime, Moicano is using a two-fight win streak.

The winner of this struggle will take a giant step ahead in UFC’s stacked Light-weight division.

Combating Associates

High-ranked ladies’s Strawweight contenders Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez throw down on the early “Prelims,” and it’s fascinating as a result of they’re buddies and have been below the identical administration a number of occasions.

There have been a number of cases of buddies combating all through the years, and whereas generally it looks like they’re sparring, each Andrade and Rodriguez mentioned at UFC 300 media day they will attempt to knockout one another as a result of the Strawweight title scene is fairly broad open.

10 Years In The Making

Jim Miller vs. Bobby Inexperienced is lastly occurring (KNOCK ON WOOD). The 2 Lightweights have been scheduled thrice earlier than, nevertheless it has by no means occurred; in reality, the primary time the struggle was booked was approach again in 2014. UFC tried to e book the struggle once more in 2021 and 2022; nevertheless, unhealthy luck struck once more.

Whereas it has taken them 10 years to lastly collide, the stakes are as excessive as ever as a result of Inexperienced is defending his No. 14 rating.

Trifecta

On Saturday, Miller would be the solely fighter to have competed in UFC 100, UFC 200 and UFC 300. At UFC 100, he defeated Mac Danzig by way of unanimous determination, after which at UFC 200, Miller stopped Takanori Gomi within the first spherical.

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

Ridiculous Curtain Jerker

In what’s going to in all probability go down because the “Greatest First Combat of a UFC Combat Card Ever,” former Flyweight champion-turned ranked Bantamweight contender, Deiveson Figueiredo, takes on former Bantamweight kingpin, Cody Garbrandt.

Two former champions kicking off the cardboard is simply nuts … and it ought to be a banger.

Rebooked

Figueiredo vs. Garbrandt have been initially imagined to collide at UFC 255 in a Flyweight title struggle; nevertheless, the struggle was scrapped as a result of Garbrandt contracted COVID-19.

UFC 300 Combat Chief

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

UFC Vegas 90 Combat Rookie

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

UFC Vegas 90 Knockout King

The fighter with probably the most quantity of profession knockouts competing at UFC 300 is Prochazka (25).

UFC Vegas 90 Submission Savant

The fighter with probably the most quantity of profession submissions competing at UFC 300 is Oliveira (15).

Winners And Losers

Nineteen fighters are coming off wins, and 6 are coming off losses. One is coming off a dreaded “No Contest” (Holm).

Multi-Divisions

Listed below are the divisions that will likely be on show tonight:

Two Gentle Heavyweight fights
One Middleweight struggle
4 Light-weight fights
Two Featherweight fights
One Bantamweight struggle
One Bantamweight struggle
Two Girls’s Strawweight fights

Beta Canine

In line with DraftKings, UFC 300’s “largest” underdog is Brundage at +900.

Do not forget that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of all the UFC 300 struggle card proper right here, beginning with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches on-line, that are scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET), earlier than the pay-per-view (PPV) primary card begin time at 10 p.m. ET (additionally on ESPN+).

To take a look at the most recent and best UFC 300: “Pereira vs. Hill” information and notes you’ll want to hit up our complete occasion archive proper right here.