UFC 300 Start Time, Full Fight Details!

After 299 pay-per-view (PPV) events (and a few boo-boos along the way) — and many more “Fight Nights” between — the time has arrived for the historic UFC 300 event, which is set to take place later TONIGHT (Sat., April 13, 2024) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The stacked ESPN+-streamed fight card will feature a total of 2.5 title fights, headlined by a Light Heavyweight championship bout between division kingpin, Alex Pereira, and former titleholder, Jamahal Hill. In the co-main event, women’s Strawweight champion, Zhang Weili, will defend her belt against Yan Xiaonan, while Justin Gaethje puts his gimmick “BMF” belt on the line against former Featherweight champion, Max Holloway.

What’s Hot:

Ever since Jon Jones vacated the Light Heavyweight championship in 2020 — ending one of the most terrorizing and dominant title reigns in mixed martial arts (MMA) history — the strap has switched hands a total of five times. Sure, a couple of those had to do as a result of injury, but the fact remains: there has only been one successful defense of the strap over the past 3.5 years. That said, Pereira is out to start a long reign of his own when he attempts to defend the 205-pound belt for the first time against Hill, a former champion who never lost his belt inside the cage.

Pereira’s incredible run in short amount of time inside the Octagon is well-documented, making him one of the most terrifying challenges in the sport, as well as a fan-favorite. He has already secured himself a place in the Hall of Fame by winning two titles in as many divisions in just seven fights with the promotion, but “Poatan” has the chance to do more and set the bar even higher. And if anyone can do it, it’s the Brazilian striker, whose lone loss under the UFC banner came against Israel Adesanya at UFC 287. In knocking out Jiri Prochazka (see it again here), he ended his eight-year unbeaten streak, and he did it by barely breaking a sweat. But, that’s just Pereira, he makes it all look easy. If and when he gets his first title defense, there is no telling just how far he can go. And he has extra motivation to get the job done against Hill, who defeated Pereira’s long-time friend and mentor, Glover Teixeira, at UFC 283 to win the belt.

After earning a shot at the strap against Teixeira in favor of letting Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev run it back (details here), Hill out-lasted “Hands of Stone” to win his first-ever UFC title, extending his win streak to four straight in the process. It was an unlikely run at the title because Hill — if we are being 100 percent honest — wasn’t exactly on everyone’s radar as a potential champion with star-power. Nevertheless, “Sweet Dreams” flipped the script in his favor. But, his title reign was short-lived after he was forced to vacate the title due to an injury, paving the way for Pereira to win it. Now, Hill will not only get the chance to become champion again, but he will have the opportunity to silence any doubters by taking out the boogeyman. The striking battle here favors Pereira, and it would behoove “Sweet Dreams” to not get drawn into an all out-striking battle because it simply won’t end well for him (even though four of his last five wins have come by way of knockout). That’s because Pereira is an accomplished kickboxer with devastating power in both hands, so if Hill doesn’t keep his head on a swivel, it could end badly for him.

What’s Not:

Sure, numerous people have been critical about the card, especially when most thought that it would be headlined by Jon Jones or Conor McGregor. But, at the end of the day, it is still a very solid card that should not be frowned upon. After all, it’s a business move at the end of the day, not stacking the card with names like McGregor or Jones. Why? Well, those two aforementioned fighters can pretty much sell out an arena and PPV’s on their own on any other card. For UFC 300, the promotion is banking on the historic-factor of it to sell, as opposed to MEGA stars pushing it. Right?

Original Card Vs. Actual Card:

Believe it or not, there were no changes to this event.

Injuries:

No injuries were reported for this event, either.

New Blood:

Kayla Harrison is the only newcomer who will be making her UFC debut on this historic card, but she is far from a rookie. The two-time Olympic gold medalist started her career under the Professional Fighters League (PFL) banner, racking up an impressive 16-1 record where she won two separate $1 million tournaments. That, however, was at Lightweight and she will be making the drop all the way down to Bantamweight for her debut against Holly Holm. Speaking of which, for as big as a fight as this is for Harrison, it is just as big for Holm because she has the chance to spoil one of the most-highly-anticipated UFC debuts in some time, while stealing Harrison’s shine and upping her chance and yet another title shot. Holm is currently ranked No. 5 in the division, so if Harrison can get a win right from the jump — see the odds of that happening right here — she will crack the Top 10 and maybe even put herself in the position to fight for a title sooner, rather than later. Holm will obviously try to use her reach and boxing skills to keep Harrison at bay because once the judo master get a hold of her, she will be going for a ride. Or did she lose a lot of strength as a result of the brutal weight cut?

How The ‘Prelims’ Look:

Headlining the undercard of this stacked event will be a Light Heavyweight bout between former 205-pound champion, Prochazaka, and Aleksandar Rakic, who will be returning to action after an unfortunate injury sidelined him for the last two years. Prior to tearing up his knee in a loss to Jan Blachowicz, many thought of Rakic as a legit threat to the title, and now he is out to remind everyone why. But, Jiri has motivation of his own because he desperately wants to earn his way to another title fight after coming up short against Pereira at UFC 295 for the vacant belt. That loss snapped his 13-fight win streak, and paused his UFC title dreams. A win over Rakic will definitely put him at the front of the list for a title fight.

In just two fights with the promotion, Diego Lopes has cemented himself as one of the more entertaining fighters competing in the Featherweight division. And it’s all because of his back-to-back first-round stoppage wins over Gavin Tucker and Pat Sabatini (evidence here). In fact, his surge earned a spot on UFC’s digital roster (more on that here). Lopes is all action and no brakes, so Sodiq Yusuff will have to be on his “A” game if he wants to steal his shine. Yusuff has quietly earned a 6-2 record under the UFC banner, but his most recent defeat at the hands of Edson Barboza really took the wind out of his sails, but a win over Lopes will correct his course.

Renato Moicano was able to earn a late spot on the coveted lineup. He is coming off back-to-back wins over Brad Riddell and Drew Dober, bringing his record to 4-1 in his last five UFC fights. Moicano has shown to have all the talent and potential in the world, he just can’t seem to get over that hump to put him in the conversation of the best of the best just yet. As for the man he will be facing, Jalin Turner, he ended his two-fight skid with a very violent knockout win over Bobby Green back in Dec. 2023 (video here), and a win over Moicano will catapult him a bit further.

Jim Miller will make even more UFC history by becoming the only fighter to compete at UFC 100, UFC 200 and now UFC 300, which is truly an amazing feat seeing as how UFC 100 took place 15 years ago. But, UFC’s iron man is still going strong and has, quite honestly, been putting in work, going 5-1 in his last six fights. He is out to get another win for the resume against Islam Makhachev’s No. 1 hater in Green, who can’t seem to keep the champs name out of his mouth (for whatever reason). “King” has been rather inconsistent with wins over the last few years, racking up a 2-3-1 record in his last six fights. But, despite his inconsistencies, he is still entertaining as all heck, and a dance partner like Miller should produce fireworks.

Jessica Andrade will face Marina Rodriguez in a pivotal fight women’s Strawweight fight. “Bate Estaca” recently snapped her three-fight losing streak by putting it on Mackenzie Dern, knocking her out at UFC 295 (video replay here). The former division champion wants to build some momentum to not only get back to a real title fight, but potentially be in consideration for a women’s “BMF” title fight should that day ever come that the promotion decide to go that route. She has the resume that warrants it, but it would be better for her if she can rack up some consecutive wins.

Kicking off the mega-event will be a Bantamweight fight between former division champion, Cody Garbrandt, and former UFC Flyweight champion, Deiveson Figueriedo, who will be making his sophomore 135-pound appearance (full preview here). After a dreadful run that saw him go 1-5 in the span of six fights, Garbrandt has found his groove and has won two straight. While some may feel the former champion’s best days are behind him, “No Love” wants to get some love back by showing fight fans and UFC brass that he’s still got it. The problem with Garbrandt is that he does tend to get a bit too wild at times, which has cost him. Doing that against Figueiredo won’t end well for him because the Brazilian hits hard. These two men have been eying each other for some time now, and with the bonuses upped to $300,000, you can expect them to kick off the show with a bang.

Who Needs A Win Badly:

Calvin Kattar is currently riding a two-fight losing streak and has lost three of his last four fights coming into his Featherweight fight against former Bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, who will be making his 145-pound debut … and he is looking jacked! Facing a former champion while you’re on a two-fight losing streak is unheard of, so he more than has his hands full. On the flip side of that coin, a win would be major for Kattar, who can ride that wave of momentum into newfound confidence and be able to live to fight another day inside the Octagon. For Sterling, it’s a big fight, too, because if he wants to make a run toward another title in a new division he has to come out of the gates strong. A loss will put him at a crossroads.

Interest Level: 9.5/10

The co-main event will see Zhang attempt to earn her second straight defense of her 115-pound title against her fellow countrywomen. Zhang has been fighting in championship fights more often than not inside the Octagon, and has taken on the best of the best in women’s MMA, including a pair of showdowns against Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Rose Namajunas, Jessica Andrade and Carla Esparza. “Magnum” is as talented as they come, but Xiaonan has more than earned her opportunity, racking up an impressive 8-2 record under the UFC banner, most recently defeating the aforementioned Andrade via first round knockout at UFC 288 (see it again here). This is the battle for China, and perhaps a battle to see who can one day earn the right to fight for a potential women’s BMF title.

Gaethje and Holloway have long been two of the most entertaining fighters in all off MMA, and they have the fan base to prove it. So, it was only fitting to have these two giants of the game partake in just the third-ever “BMF” title fight. Holloway will be competing at 155 pounds for just the second time inside the Octagon, losing to Dustin Poirier in a Lightweight title fight at UFC 236. Now, “Blessed — fresh shorts and all — will attempt to start a run in a new weight class (not that he’s abandoned Featherweight) in hopes of earning another shot at becoming two-division champion down the road. For Gaethje, it’s his opportunity to not only defend the “BMF” belt, but lock down a potential 155-pound title fight against current champion, Islam Makhachev. This fight promises to be one of the best fights of all time, now we just have to wait to see if it delivers. Plus, we get to see Mark Coleman back inside the Octagon!

Before Gaethje and Holloway get to swinging punches to prove their worth, Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan will attempt to cut the championship line by earning emphatic wins of their own when they collide in a pivotal main card bout. Oliveira lost out on his opportunity to face Makhachev for the title after he suffered an ankle injury prior to UFC 294. If he can get through Tsarukyan in impressive fashion, “Do Bronx” will make a strong argument to be able to get the chance to earn his belt back sooner, rather than later. As for Tsarukyan, he is eying his first trip to a championship fight with a win over the jiu-jitsu ace. Tsarukyan is 8-2 inside the Octagon and owns a three-fight win streak, knocking out Beneil Dariush in just 64 seconds in his most recent outing to get him in the position he is today. If he can upset Oliveira then the pressure will be on Gaethje and Holloway to put on an impressive performance if they want to steal his title shot.

Much was made about the promotion’s decision to give Bo Nickal a spot on the PPV main card of the biggest fight card ever, but when Dana White and Co. see you as a potential cash cow — even if you only have only have two wins with the promotion — it’s a smart move on their part. Nickal stormed out of the gates with back-to-back first-round stoppage wins in the span of four months, but he hasn’t been seen inside the cage in almost nine months. Naturally, the promotion will not throw him to the wolves straight away, so he hasn’t been facing ranked or big-name opponents. That’s no disrespect to Cody Brundage, but prior to his recent two-fight win streak he has lost three straight. With a record of 4-3, Brundage has the chance to not only slow down the Nickal hype train, but get a boost of his own.

Enjoy the fights!

Full UFC 300 Fight Card:

UFC 300 Main Card On ESPN+ PPV (10 p.m. ET):

205 lbs.: UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill
115 lbs.: UFC Strawweight champion Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan
155 lbs.: UFC “BMF” Champion Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway
155 lbs.: Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan
185 lbs.: Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage

UFC 300 ‘Prelims’ Card on ESPN/ESPN+ (8 p.m. ET):

205 lbs.: Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
145 lbs.: Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling
135 lbs.: Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
145 lbs.: Sodiq Yusuff vs. Diego Lopes

UFC 300 Early ‘Prelims’ Card on ESPN/ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET):

155 lbs.: Jalin Turner vs. Renato Moicano
115 lbs.: Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez
155 lbs.: Jim Miller vs. Bobby Green
135 lbs.: Cody Garbrandt vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*

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Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 300 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 300: “Pereira vs. Hill” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.