Brendan Miller
UFC 300 lived up to its potential as an all-time memorable event. The card featured 12 current or former UFC champions, as well as many other fights with implications for the official UFC rankings. Great performances by Alex Pereira, Max Holloway and others set the stage for great things to come.
Pereira showed dominance by knocking out Jamahal Hill in the light heavyweight title main event. Holloway added a legendary moment to an already Hall of Fame-worthy career. There’s also the matter of UFC women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili, who overcame a difficult middle ground to defeat challenger Yan Xiaonan.
After an unforgettable card, let’s take a look at what the future holds for the winners and losers of UFC 300.
Light heavyweight
Alex Pereira x Magomed Ankalaev: It’s not the most exciting fight, but it’s the most appropriate. The UFC’s top five light heavyweights are all coming off losses, except for Ankalaev and Prochazka. It’s hard to justify Prochazka’s title shot after being knocked out by Pereira in November. Ankalaev is undefeated in 12 fights and regained some momentum with a recent knockout victory over Johnny Walker. Pereira enjoyed the fight and the chance to test himself against a different style. Anakalev’s grappling is a new challenge for the dominant striker. Pereira suggested a heavyweight move for UFC 301 on May 4, but UFC president Dana White wasn’t happy with it.
Colina Jamahal x Jiri Prochazka: Pereira’s fortune is Prochazka’s misfortune. The former champion has called for a title fight after defeating Rakic, but it’s a tough sell. Rakic lit up Prochazka with leg kicks and long combinations for most of his fight. Many of the defensive gaps he showed against Pereira still plagued him. Prochazka personified “the best defense is a good offense” to defeat Rakic, but such recklessness is a death sentence against Pereira. The chances of a victory are slim, but fighting a former champion seems attractive. A win over Hill should guarantee Prochazka a title shot.
Aleksandar Rakic vs Jan Blachowicz: Rakic looked sharp against Prochazka but was unable to survive the attack. Rakic was originally scheduled to face Blachowicz after a knee injury halted their first fight. It’s a solid fight for two guys looking for a title shot. Furthermore, it appears to already be on the promotion radar.
Light
UFC Lightweight Championship – Islam Makhachev or Dustin Poirier vs Arman Tsarukyan: Sorry, Tsarukyan. It’s a done deal. UFC president Dana White announced on Saturday that Makhachev x Poirier will headline UFC 302 in Newark on June 1st. It makes sense for Makhachev’s timeline, but Poirier isn’t the most deserving candidate. Oliveira and Gaethje, both lost on Saturday, have recent wins over Poirier. That should put Tsarukyan well ahead of Poirier in line. In the end, Tsarukyan x Oliveira was considered a title eliminator by White. It’s probably in Tsarukyan’s best interest to wait, but if Poirier pulls off the upset, you can bet the UFC will schedule the rematch.
Justin Gaethje vs. Nobody: Gaethje should take some time off. He absorbed a lot of damage in the fight against Holloway and suffered one of the biggest KOs in UFC history. Gaethje knows he’s near the end of his career anyway. There will be a lot of movement at lightweight when he returns. It’s better to leave the field clear. Rematches against Poirier, Oliveira and Michael Chandler could make sense by then. The same would happen with fights against Benoit Saint Denis, Dan Hooker and Mateusz Gamrot, who will definitely fight before we see Gaethje again.
Charles Oliveira x Mateusz Gamrot: Speaking of Gamrot, here’s an interesting one. Oliveira has already fought twice with fighters who can defend themselves from submission attempts. Gamrot is ready for a big opportunity after winning three fights in a row. Gamrot is also the last person to beat Tsarukyan. It’s a fitting descent for Oliveira, who is always one or two fights away from title contention. It won’t make the fans happy, but it’s an important test for both men.
Feather weight
UFC Featherweight Championship – Ilia Topuria x Max Holloway: Holloway called out Topuria and Makhachev after the fight, but he seemed particularly excited about regaining the featherweight title. Holloway deserves everything he wants – both for what he achieved on Saturday and for all his hard work. I’m generally not a fan of fighters who fight for the title after wins in different divisions, but Holloway’s circumstance is unique. He has been the top contender in the featherweight division for a long time. Unfortunately, three losses to Alexander Volkanovski left him out of title contention, no matter how many other contenders he beat. The path is clear with Topuria taking the 145-pound throne. Holloway has enduring popularity, comes from an inherited victory in a storied career and has a meritocratic claim. The UFC would be foolish not to immediately take this fight to Spain.
Women’s strawweight
UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship – Zhang Weili x Tatiana Suarez: Honestly, I would love to see Suarez get one more rep before fighting for the title. She looked uncomfortable striking in her last fight against Jéssica Andrade. This is something she needs to resolve before fighting Zhang. Suarez was scheduled to face Amanda Lemos at UFC 298, but withdrew. This is how the cookie sometimes crumbles. Suarez is the only legitimate challenger available to fight Zhang. She also has the highest name value. Zhang has become a very good fighter, but Suarez is an aspiring Olympic fighter. Most expect Zhang to have a big advantage on the feet. It’s a great fight to make on paper and one that the UFC can market most easily.
Yan Xiaonan x Amanda Lemos: The other fighters at this level are Andrade and Virna Jandiroba. Since both Xiaonan and Lemos beat Andrade, it makes more sense to schedule Andrade vs. Jandiroba next. Xiaonan repeatedly swung and knocked Zhang down in a valiant, losing effort. Xiaonan’s submission skills didn’t follow her to the UFC, but she’ll find a willing dance partner in the heavyweight Lemos. This is a great fight to position the winner for another title run.
