(photo courtesy Yahoo Sports)
All I can say is wow. Just, WOW. When the fight card was announced, I had some low expectations for this event, but boy was I wrong. Every fight was worthy of its own main event, and some of them are forever etched into UFC greatness. After a great night of fights, here are my key takeaways and what’s in store for the future of the UFC.
Kayla Harrison defeats Holly Holm in her UFC Debut
Holly Holm is a hall-of-fame boxer and one of the most decorated and accomplished fighters in the UFC. And she stood no chance against Kayla Harrison, as she landed 68 strikes compared to Holm's seven, and had just under five minutes of control. She used those five minutes to put herself in a position to complete a rear naked choke, giving her victory via submission in her UFC debut.
What does this mean for Harrison?
Harrison now has plenty of opportunities awaiting her inside the bantamweight division. She called out the entire division and claimed she will be division champ by the end of 2024. She could get a title shot by the end of the year, or at the very latest, around this time next year.
Jiri Prochazka dominates with a KO over Aleksandar Rakic
The former light heavyweight champion gets closer to reclaiming the title. It was Prochazka’s fight from the start, and in the second round, Jiri put Rakic on the ground with a perfectly timed jab, and went on the ground and pound attack, knocking him out.
What this means for Prochazka…
Jiri now gets one step closer to reclaiming the light heavyweight title. He could take on Alex Pereira, who also fought on UFC 300 (more on that later). In my eyes, that is the most likely opponent for Jiri, as he remains the number two contender in the division.
Bo Nickal stays undefeated with a win over Brundage
Bo Nickal continues his perfect streak in the UFC with a submission over Cody Brundage. Nickal utilized his incredible wrestling to propel himself to victory. He wasn’t too pleased with himself after the fight, however, with many speculating that he wanted to showcase his other MMA skills. Regardless, Nickal gets another victory under his belt.
What this means for Nickal…
Nickal is one of the UFC’s rising stars and could potentially get his own main event at some point in the next one to two years. He should now be ranked in the top 10 for the middleweight division.
Arman Tsarukyan edges out Charles Olivera
The 27-year-old Armenian defeated one of the UFC’s most intimidating fighters in Charles Olivera. The two fighters kept trading back and forth, between punches, kicks to the body, and brilliant jiu-jitsu. This fight was the closest out of all, and after a questionable up-kick from Charles, the fight almost came to an end. Olivera had Tsarukyan in a choke position and had the second round been 10 seconds longer, Olivera would’ve secured the win. Tsarukyan was saved by the bell and put together a third round that gave him the edge on the scorecards, resulting in a win via split decision.
What this means for Tsarukyan…
Arman was one of the many fighters who called out Ilia Topuria. With this win, he gets closer to putting himself in the title conversation. But he is most likely going to have to wait for a shot, as many other fighters have called out Topuria.
Max Holloway knocks out Justin Gaethje in what could be fight of the year
The fight for the BMF title was the highlight of UFC 300, with many fight fans calling this the fight of the year. Max “Blessed” Holloway was in control of this fight from the beginning, as he broke Gaethje’s nose in the first round with a spinning back kick. Gaethje kept looking for the knockout, while Holloway was more strategic in his attack. Then, with 10 seconds left in round five, a WOW moment happened. Holloway pointed to the center of the canvas and told Gaethje to trade. After a slew of swinging punches from both fighters, Holloway landed a right hook to seal the deal with one second left, leaving fans stunned.
What this means for Holloway…
Blessed now holds the BMF title, and after what could be the KO and fight of the year, he has opened a plethora of opportunities for his next fight. As for who, no one truly knows, but whoever it is, it will be a massive fight. Some names thrown out there have been Ilia Topuria and Connor McGregor.
Zhang Weili defends her belt against Yan Xianon
Yan Xianon was the number one ranked contender in the women’s strawweight division. She put up a great fight against the title holder Zhang Weili. Weili had Xianon in a triangle choke late in round one, and she was saved by the bell. The two fighters went back and forth, trading shots. And found themselves going the distance, and to the judge’s scorecard, who unanimously scored Weili to defend her title.
What this means for Weili…
Weili defends her title and could see a fight in the near future to put it on the line again. I would think Dana White is interested in having these two fighters have a rematch, especially because of how close the fight was. However, there are plenty of fighters waiting for a title shot within the division, so Weili essentially has her choice in her next opponent.
Alex Pereira notches a first round KO in the main event.
The main event of the biggest fight night in UFC history came to an end in the very first round, with the champion Alex Pereira landing a left hook perfectly on the chin of Jamahal Hill to secure the KO. Pereira won the fight from the moment he walked in, lading 12 punches to the head and 24 in total, compared to Hill’s 12 in total and one to the head. Pereira defends his title with a masterclass performance.
What this means for Pereira…
Pereira defends his title, and after the fight, he told Joe Rogan he wants to fight Tom Aspinall at UFC 301, which will be taking his place in his home country of Brazil. How likely is this to happen with the 301 lineup already announced? Unlikely. But Pereira didn’t take a lot of damage in this fight, so we could see him return to the octagon relatively soon.
What’s next for the UFC as a whole?
President Dana White dropped some bombshells on UFC fans during the post-fight press conference. UFC 301 will be an all-Brazilian lineup, featuring the return of Jose Aldo. 302 features the lightweight title fight between Diamond Dustin Poirier and current title holder Islam Makhachev. And the biggest announcement of them all, White announced the return of the Notorious, Connor McGregor at UFC 303, as he will be taking on Michael Chandler. This gives fight fans, including myself, plenty to be excited about this summer.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion? Let us know. All views are welcome. Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Dylan Hicks dhicks@student.dean.edu or Dean Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu