Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans are in for a treat this weekend, with the landmark UFC 300 event set to be staged at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
The stacked card will undoubtedly generate a ton of betting activity across the world, particularly for the pair of co-main event contests.
With that in mind, read on as we look at the bumper line-up for UFC 300 before previewing what promises to be a thrilling showcase of MMA.
UFC 300 line-up
UFC 300 Main Card
· Alex Pereira vs Jamahal Hill
· Zhang Weili vs Yan Xiaonan
· Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway
· Charles Oliveira vs Arman Tsarukyan
· Bo Nickal vs Cody Brundage
UFC 300 Preliminary Matches
· Jiri Prochazka vs Aleksandar Rakic
· Calvin Kattar vs Aljamain Sterling
· Holly Holm vs Kayla Harrison
· Sodiq Yusuff vs Diego Lopes
· Jalin Turner vs Renato Moicana
· Jessica Andrade vs Marina Rodriguez
· Bobby Green vs Jim Miller
· Deiveson Figueiredo vs Cody Garbrandt
UFC 300 preview UFC fans who like to bet online will be licking their lips at the prospect of wagering on the light-heavyweight title bout between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill.
Pereira had made a name for himself since joining the 205-pound ranks last year, recording victories over Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka.
The latter success saw Pereira claim the vacant title and he is the bookmakers’ favourite to back up that result by recording another victory this weekend.
Hill beat Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in January 2023 to win the light-heavyweight title, but he was forced to relinquish the belt after tearing his Achilles last summer.
The 32-year-old has recovered well from the injury, but stepping back into action in a title fight may prove to be a bridge too far.
Elsewhere on the main card, the co-main event will be a history maker, with two Chinese fighters set to go head-to-head in a UFC championship match for the first time.
Zhang Weili is scheduled to defend the strawweight title against Yan Xiaonan and will hope her greater experience in big fights will aid her cause.
However, Xiaonan’s first round knockout of Jessica Andrade in her most recent outing highlighted why it would be foolish for Weili to underestimate her this weekend.
Arguably the most eye-catching contest on the UFC 300 card is the blockbuster meeting between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway.
Gaethje took his professional MMA record to 25-4 with a second-round knockout victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 and will fancy his chances of seeing off Holloway’s challenge.
Holloway’s last venture into the lightweight division resulted in him losing a unanimous decision against Gaethje in 2019, but he should be better prepared this time around.
The lightweight clash between Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan also promises to be a cracker, with both fighters capable of producing fireworks in the Octagon.
The winner of this contest will likely earn a shot against title holder Islam Makhachev, which sets the stage for what could be the fiercest battle of the entire UFC 300 card.
Bo Nickal and Cody Brundage kick off the pay-per-view portion of the event, with the pair scheduled to face off in the middleweight division. There has been plenty of hype surrounding Nickal since he joined the UFC and it will be intriguing to see how he handles the step up in class against Brundage.
Victories in his last two fights have move Brundage to a 10-5 record in the professional ranks and he could give Nickal plenty to think about at UFC 300.
