You may have already heard this, but Saturday’s UFC 300 is pretty big. Huge, some might say. The greatest night in the history of unarmed combat, perhaps that’s more as UFC president Dana White would say.
Whether you’re measuring viewership numbers, live gate revenue or just plain old fan enthusiasm, UFC 300 is definitely one of the biggest MMA pay-per-views in recent years. But what makes this possible and what are the stories and statistics behind the 13 fights on Saturday’s card? I’m so glad you asked. Here’s your UFC 300 quick primer, from bottom to top.
Deiveson Figueiredo x Cody Garbrandt
Who are they: Figueiredo is a former UFC flyweight champion known for a fast and frenetic fighting style. Garbrandt is a former UFC bantamweight champion who once had slick, powerful striking, but later fell in love with planting his feet and throwing bombs (and getting knocked out).
Why this matters: There are two questions here. Can Figueiredo become a true contender in the 135-pound weight class? And can Garbrandt win a third fight in a row and prove that losses and unfulfilled potential are in the rearview mirror?
Number to remember: 2016. That was the last year Garbrandt won three straight. It is also the last time he was UFC champion.
Bobby Green x Jim Miller
Who are they: Green is the type of striker who seems to think it’s a bad use of his hands to waste them defending his face, who will be talking from start to finish once the fight starts. Miller is the very definition of a seasoned veteran in this game, having the distinction of being the only man to fight in UFC 100, UFC 200 and now UFC 300.
Why this matters: This isn’t about the title photo ranking at lightweight. It’s more about history and unfinished business between the two. Plus, it’s just a fun clash of styles, pitting Miller’s submission game 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 came at the beginning of their careers and neither of them were in the UFC.
Jessica Andrade x Marina Rodriguez
Who are they: Andrade is a former UFC strawweight champion who fluctuated between 125 and 115 pounds. Rodriguez was once a fighter in crisis before back-to-back losses halted her momentum.
Why this matters: This is one of those fights where we take two fighters who may be on the verge of renewed relevance or steady decline, and then we lock them in a room together and tell them to figure out the relationship between the two.
Number to remember: Five. This is the difference (in inches) in height between the two. At just five feet tall, Andrade should already be used to being the shorter fighter.
Jalin Turner x Renato Moicano
Who are they: Turner is a tarantula-loving lightweight (seriously, the man genuinely owns and seems to love spiders) who stumbled when he rose high enough in the division to face serious talent. Moicano is a sincere lover of money who became part fighter and part YouTuber when he invited us to join him in his exuberant search for legal tender.
Why this matters: Turner is ranked No. 10, and Moicano is No. 13 in the 155-pound class. That’s not quite in the realm of really serious competitors, but it’s almost there. A win here for either of them would perhaps push them into single digits.
Number to remember: 10. That’s how many submissions Moicano has. And he brings that to the cage against an opponent who has never been finished.
Sodiq Yusuff x Diego Lopes
Who are they: Yusuff is a featherweight who has so far defeated every mid-level guy he’s faced, only to lose to the truly established ones. Lopes is a guy who looks like he belongs on Warped Tour 2008, but is actually very good at fighting.
Why this matters: This is probably the least star-studded fight on the card, but it has the potential to 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 might be the first.
Holly Holm x Kayla Harrison
Who are they: Holm is a former UFC bantamweight champion who is somehow still a badass at age 40, even if it seems unlikely that she will recapture the glory days that saw her knock out Ronda Rousey to become champion. Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo and is finally making his UFC debut after demolishing the competition in the PFL for years.
Why this matters: Harrison, 33, already passed the first test when he gained 136 pounds on Friday for the first time in his career. Judging by the pain on his gaunt face during the weigh-in, it wasn’t easy. Harrison is the heavy favorite, but Holm is still good enough to expose any opponent who might have left his best stuff in the sauna.
Number to remember: Nine. The age difference between these two. Another way Holm, 42, can think of it is…does she have a lot of experience on her side?
Calvin Kattar x Aljamain Sterling
Who are they: Kattar is a tenacious boxer trying to reach the top of the featherweight division, but he keeps hitting his head against the ceiling. Sterling was recently champion of the bantamweight division and has now decided to try his luck in a category where losing weight will be easier.
Why this matters: After losing three of the last four games, Kattar needs a win to get back on the map. Sterling is just trying to figure out if his wrestling style will still work for him against bigger opponents that he can’t defeat as easily.
Number to remember: Four. That’s the number of inches of height Sterling is giving up here. And he’s not used to being the smaller man in that cage.
Jiří Procházka x Aleksandar Rakić
Who are they: Procházka is a dynamic former 205-pound champion who is also delightfully awkward in a way that seems completely natural to him. Rakić is a big, scary light heavyweight who really looks like he should be a lot more successful – or at least fun to watch – than he has been in recent fights.
Why this matters: If the UFC had a European title, this would be a reasonable fight to determine its fate. Procházka needs a rebound after being stopped by punches in his attempt to regain the 200-pound belt. But if Rakić managed to beat him, suddenly he’s in that conversation.
Number to remember: 25. That’s the number of knockout wins Prochazka has on his resume. And he only had 34 fights in total.
Bo Nickal vs.
Who are they: Nickal was a three-time national champion as a fighter before becoming MMA’s hottest prospect as soon as he put on the gloves. Brundage (10-5, 5 KOs) is… the guy the UFC asked to fight him next.
Why this matters: This was supposed to be the next in a series of showcase fights for Nickal (5-0, 2 KOs). He has yet to fight beyond the first round, and his last fight showed that he has learned some striking to complement his world-class wrestling skills. Brundage is being treated like a human sacrifice, but he could instantly become someone with a (highly unlikely) win here.
Number to remember: +1200. That’s how much of an underdog Brundage was at one point. This is unprecedented in the UFC. If he were to win, it could go down as the biggest upset in UFC history.
Charles Oliveira x Arman Tsarukyan
Who are they: Oliveira is the beloved former lightweight champion who arrives with a tonne of fan support. Tsarukyan is the newcomer who has become a villain for many fans simply because he is the guy who will have to fight Oliveira.
Why this matters: Simply put, the winner here will likely next get a shot at the lightweight title. Oliveira has already taken down a supposed contender by demolishing Beneil Dariush, who Tsarukyan also knocked out in his last fight. Tsarukyan is trying to prove he’s different even as he injects new blood into the title picture.
Number to remember: Nine. That would be the winning streak Tsarukyan would go on if the judges knew what they were seeing in his fight against Mateusz Gamrot.
Justin Gaethje x Max Holloway
Who are they: Come on, you know who they are. Gaethje is the most cheerful knockout artist in the division. Holloway is the former featherweight champion moving up a division for this unique special attraction.
Why this matters: Officially, this is the completely ceremonial title “BMF” (an acronym that means the same thing that Samuel L. Jackson’s character stamped on his wallet in “Pulp Fiction”). But this fight doesn’t need a belt to be special. It’s a wild and crazy duo to see who will emerge from this cloud of dust with their face and conscience still intact. And it should be a lot of fun.
Number to remember: 47. That’s the total number of combined rounds Holloway has fought in his last 10 fights. For one thing, it will eventually come at a price, right? On the other hand, it is clear that this is a man who knows how to clock in and go to work.
Zhang Weili x Yan Xiaonan
Who are they: Zhang is the current strawweight champion and has been on and off since winning the belt for the first time in 2019. Yan is the leading contender, who also helps the UFC claim the first title fight with two Chinese fighters.
Why this matters: The belt is on the line and is currently held by a champion who looks like she could hold it for a long, long time. That’s not enough?
Number to remember: 2013. That was the last time Weili lost to someone no called Rose Namajunas.
Alex Pereira x Jamahal Hill
Who are they: Pereira is the current 205-pound champion, having defeated Procházka to win the vacant title – his second UFC belt in two divisions, all in less than three full years in the UFC. Hill is the former champion who had a cup of coffee with the belt before relinquishing it after tearing his Achilles tendon while playing basketball, of all things.
Why this matters: In the post-Jon Jones era, the light heavyweight division has struggled mightily to find any lasting stability at the top. Whoever wins here could very well be the guy who changes that. Also? When you combine two big, lanky strikers with a bunch of knockouts and no submission wins between them, it should be a recipe for a violent and memorable main event.
Number to remember: 15. That’s the number of months since Hill’s last fight, a decision win over Pereira’s longtime coach Glover Teixeira. This is the longest layoff of his professional career. And with an injury from which it is not especially easy to recover.
