UFC 300: Why every fight matters, from the Alex Pereira-Jamahal Hill main event to the card’s incredible opening bout

You may have heard this, but Saturday’s UFC 300 is a pretty big one. Huge, some would say. The greatest night in unarmed combat history would be more like what UFC president Dana White would call it.

Whether you look at ratings, live revenue, or just fan hype, UFC 300 is undoubtedly one of the biggest MMA pay-per-views of recent years. But what makes it so, and what are the stories and stats behind the 13 fights on Saturday’s card? I’m so glad you asked. Here’s your quick UFC 300 primer, from top to bottom.

Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt

Who are they: Figueiredo is a former UFC flyweight champion known for his fast-paced, frenetic fighting style. Garbrandt is a former UFC bantamweight champion who was once a slick, powerful puncher, but then fell in love with planting his feet and throwing bombs (and getting knocked out).

Why it matters: There are two questions here. Can Figueiredo become a real contender at 135 pounds? And can Garbrandt win a third straight fight and prove that the losses and unfulfilled potential are behind him?

Number to remember: 2016. That’s the last year Garbrandt won three in a row. It’s also the last time he was a UFC champion.

Bobby Green vs. Jim Miller

Who are they: Green is the kind of striker who thinks it’s a bad use of his hands to waste them defending his face, which will be the talk of the town from start to finish once the fight starts. Miller is the definition of a smart, old veteran in this game, with the distinction of being the only man to have fought in UFC 100, UFC 200 and now UFC 300.

Why it matters: This one isn’t about the lightweight title picture standings. It’s more about the history and unfinished business between these two. Plus, it’s just a fun clash of styles, with Miller’s submission game pitted against Green’s smooth, unorthodox striking.

Number to remember: Two. That’s the number of times Green has been submitted in an MMA fight. Both of those submissions came early in his career, and neither was in the UFC.

Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez

Who are they: Andrade is a former UFC strawweight champion who has bounced between 125 pounds and 115 pounds. Rodriguez was once a fighter in full swing until consecutive losses halted her momentum.

Why it matters: This is one of those fights where we take two fighters who are either on the cusp of resurgence or on the cusp of steady decline, lock them in a room together, and tell them to figure it out for themselves.

Number to remember: Five. That’s the difference (in inches) in height between these two. At just over five feet, Andrade should be used to being the smaller fighter by now.

Jalin Turner vs. Renato Moicano

Who are they: Turner is a tarantula-loving lightweight (seriously, the man owns and appears to love spiders) who stumbled when he climbed high enough in the division to take on serious talent. Moicano is an outspoken money lover who’s part fighter, part YouTuber, as he invites us to join him on his exuberant quest for legal tender.

Why it matters: Turner is ranked No. 10 and Moicano is ranked No. 13 in the 155-pound class. That’s not quite in the realm of serious contenders, but it’s close. A win here for either of them could push them into the single digits.

Number to remember: 10. That’s how many submission wins Moicano has. And he takes that into the cage against an opponent who has never submitted.

Sodiq Yusuff vs Diego Lopes

Who are they: Yusuff is a hard-charging featherweight who has defeated every mid-level guy he has faced, only to lose to the more established names. Lopes is a guy who looks like he belongs on Warped Tour in 2008, but is actually very good at fighting.

Why it matters: This is probably the least star-studded fight on the bill, but it could still be a lot of fun to watch – especially if Lopes gets his way.

Number to remember: Zero. That’s the number of ranked featherweights Lopes has defeated. Yusuff could be his first.

Holly Holm vs. Kayla Harrison

Who are they: Holm is a former UFC bantamweight champion who somehow remains a tough opponent well into her 40s, even if it seems unlikely she’ll relive the glory days of knocking out Ronda Rousey to become a champion. Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo who is finally making her UFC debut after years of crushing the competition in the PFL.

Why it matters: Harrison, 33, passed the first test when she weighed in at 136 pounds for the first time in her career on Friday. Judging by the pain on her gaunt face at the weigh-in, it wasn’t easy. Harrison is the odds-on favorite, but Holm is still good enough to expose any opponent who leaves her best stuff on the sauna floor.

Number to remember: Nine. The age difference between these two. Another way the 42-year-old Holm could think about it is… she’s got a lot of experience on her side?

Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling

Who are they: Kattar is a hard-hitting fighter who is trying to break through to the top of the featherweight division, but keeps hitting the ceiling. Sterling was recently the bantamweight champion and has now decided to try his luck in a division where cutting weight will hopefully be easier.

Why it matters: After losing three of his last four matches, Kattar needs a win to get back on the map, while Sterling is just trying to figure out if his wrestling style still works for him against bigger opponents that he can’t knock down so easily.

Number to remember: Four. That’s how many inches Sterling is listing here. And he’s not used to being the smaller guy in that cage.

Jiří Procházka vs. Aleksandar Rakić

Who are they: Prochazka is a dynamic former 205-pound champion who is also delightfully weird in a way that seems completely natural to him. Rakic ​​is a big, fearsome-looking light heavyweight who honestly looks like he should be a lot more successful — or at least fun to watch — than he has been in recent fights.

Why it matters: If the UFC had a European title, this would be a reasonable fight to decide its fate. Prochazka needs a rebound after being stopped by punches in his bid to regain the 205-pound belt. But if Rakić can beat him, he’s suddenly in that conversation.

Number to remember: 25. That’s the number of knockout wins Prochazka has to his name. And he’s only had 34 fights in total.

Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage

Who are they: Nickal was a three-time national champion as a wrestler before becoming MMA’s blue-chip prospect once he laced up the gloves. Brundage (10-5, 5 KOs) is … the man the UFC called to fight him next.

Why it matters: This should be the next in a series of showcase fights for Nickal (5-0, 2 KOs). He has yet to have a fight that went beyond the first round, and his last fight showed that he has learned a few punches to complement his world-class wrestling skills. Brundage is being treated as a human sacrifice, but he could become someone right away with a (highly unlikely) victory here.

Number to remember: +1200. That’s how big of an underdog Brundage was at one point. That’s unheard of in the UFC. If he were to win this, it would be the biggest upset in UFC history.

Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan

Who are they: Oliveira is the beloved former lightweight champion who is here with a ton of fan support. Tsarukyan is the rising star who has found himself in a villainous role for many fans, simply by being the man Oliveira has to fight.

Why it matters: Simply put, the winner here will likely get a shot at the lightweight title. Oliveira already defeated a potential contender with his crushing loss to Beneil Dariush, who also knocked out Tsarukyan in his last fight. Tsarukyan is looking to prove that he’s different and inject some new blood into the title fight at the same time.

Number to remember: Nine. That’s the winning streak Tsarukyan would have if the judges knew what they were looking at in his fight with Mateusz Gamrot.

Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway

Who are they: Come on, you know who they are. Gaethje is the division’s most cheerful knockout artist. Holloway is the former featherweight champion who moves up a division for this one-time special attraction.

Why it matters: Officially, it’s for the fully ceremonial title of “BMF” (an acronym that stands for the same thing Samuel L. Jackson’s character had stamped in his wallet in “Pulp Fiction”). But this fight doesn’t need a belt to be special. It’s going to be a wild, crazy matchup to see who emerges from this cloud of dust with their face and consciousness intact. And it should be a lot of fun.

Number to remember: 47. That’s the total number of rounds Holloway has fought in his last 10 fights. On one hand, that’s got to take its toll eventually, right? On the other hand, this is clearly a man who knows how to clock in and get to work.

Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan

Who are they: Zhang is the reigning strawweight champion and has been in action on and off since his first win in 2019. Yan is the clear top contender and he also helps the UFC claim the first title fight involving two Chinese fighters.

Why it matters: The belt is on the line, and it’s currently held by a champion who looks like she could hold on to it for a long time. Isn’t that enough?

Number to remember: 2013. That was the last time Weili lost to anyone not named Rose Namajunas.

Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill

Who are they: Pereira is the current 205-pound champion, having defeated Procházka to claim the vacant title — his second UFC belt across two divisions, all in less than three full years in the UFC. Hill is the former champ who had a cup of coffee with the belt before relinquishing it after tearing his Achilles tendon playing basketball, of all things.

Why it matters: In the post-Jon Jones era, the light heavyweight division has struggled mightily to find lasting stability at the top. Whoever wins here could be the one to change that. So what? When you combine two big, lean strikers with a bunch of knockouts and not a single submission win between them, that should be a recipe for a violent and memorable main event.

Number to remember: 15. That’s how many months have passed since Hill’s last fight, a decision win over Pereira’s longtime coach Glover Teixeira. It’s the longest absence of his pro career. And with an injury that’s not exactly easy to recover from.