LAS VEGAS — Isn’t it nice when things are as good as they should be? And maybe when they’re even better?
UFC 300 was considered the biggest fight night in the history of combat sports. An absurd promise, obviously. Pure uncontrolled advertising. Then the leather started flying here at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday and when everything stopped and I had a chance to catch my breath, I had to admit that this was, in fact, the best night of professional wrestling I’ve ever had. I had already seen it.
Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise. You put together a lineup with 13 current or former champions and you should end up with something good in the end. But this was better than good. This was special.
Much of that credit must go to Max Holloway. For weeks he’s been irritated by people telling him he was making a mistake moving up in weight for his BMF title fight with Justin Gaethje. Doesn’t he remember what happened the last time he fought in the 155-pound division (loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 236)? Wouldn’t it be better for him to stay at home in the featherweight division and defend a shot at new champion Ilia Topuria?
But what he wanted, Holloway insisted, was to be a legend of the sport. And how can you be a legend if you don’t take big risks to do legendary things?
In case you thought he was just saying things, there was Holloway in the last 10 seconds of the last round of a fight, he looked like he was clearly on his way to victory, and he was not only agreeing, but practically demanding that Gaethje join him. . in the center of the cage for a final brawl. This is risky, to say the least. It was basically the only chance Gaethje had, and Holloway handed it to him. Just winning the fight would have been enough. Risking losing him like that seemed almost crazy.
Then Holloway landed that clean right hand into the eye of the storm. Then Gaethje fell to the ground. Then the roar of the crowd that nearly blew a hole in the building’s roof confirmed that Holloway had indeed just become a sporting legend.
It was one of the most dramatic finishes ever seen in an MMA fight. And there were still two more fights to go.
The UFC set out to create a centenary event that would surpass the previous two. While it didn’t produce any blockbuster names for the main event, it was able to rely on the depth of the cast to provide the magic in aggregate. Being able to call up someone like Holloway as a playoff asset? That’s a luxury most fight promoters don’t have, and a gift fight fans barely deserve.
Some other notes about UFC 300…
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Alex Pereira told Jamahal Hill that he would remind him of the moment he mocked the champion with his choice of pre-fight props. As Pereira stood on the fallen hill after his first-round knockout victory in the main event, he gestured repeatedly to the man, as if to say: That moment when I said you were coming? That’s it here.
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In a sport full of professional tough guys, Pereira somehow manages to be another level of terror. His facial expression never changes, but he radiates a constant intensity. After successfully defending his 200-pound belt, he now says he would like to try out at heavyweight. I guess when you’ve already won UFC titles in two divisions, it’s natural to think, hey, why not a third? Whoever welcomes him into that weight class better not be someone who scares easily.
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If, on the other hand, Pereira chooses to stay at light heavyweight? Jiří Procházka certainly made the case for a rematch with his TKO victory over Aleksandr Rakic on the undercard. After being constantly dismantled for most of the fight, Prochazka landed a clean right hand to turn the tide, then advanced to the finish. It was a quick reversal in a fight that looked like he was clearly on his way to defeat. Clearly, that is, for everyone but him.
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One of Prochazka’s great strengths (but also his weakness) is that he fights as if it never occurred to him that he might get hurt. This might make him not seem too interested in saving his face, but it also prevents him from losing confidence when things aren’t going his way. This is a dangerous person, even when he is losing. Pereira may have beaten him once, but that doesn’t mean anyone should exclude him from a possible rematch.
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Zhang Weili had a tougher time than many expected in her UFC strawweight title defense against Yan Xiaonan, but in the end she made it through. It took her to walk to the line of winning the fight twice before finally making the decision. It also required her to lean heavily on wrestling, which has been a work in rapid progress. It was worth it tonight against a very tough opponent who wasn’t going away easily. It also makes Weili an even more difficult puzzle for anyone to solve.
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With the arrival of Kayla Harrison, things are about to get better in the women’s bantamweight division. The weight class has been a bit quiet since the retirement of longtime champion Amanda Nunes. But with the way Harrison showed up and defeated former champion Holly Holm in her UFC debut, there now appears to be a new reason to be excited about the division. If Harrison can make weight consistently, she will be a huge problem for all the other 135-pound fighters. AND Judging by her reaction at home the night of the fighteven Nunes is starting to feel renewed interest in the split with Harrison here.
