Fans of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a.k.a. the UFC are already getting excited for UFC 300 which is to be held on April 14th. Of course, this is no regular fight night, rather it is an event akin to celebrating an anniversary or a jubilee as the fact that 300 major UFC events have been put on by the promotion is no small feat. So, what about this fight card makes it so special for UFC fans? First of all, the hype around the 300th major UFC event means that it is likely to feature prominently in the betting news but also, like any high-level MMA fight, it will be an exciting event to watch. So, without further ado, read on to learn more about some notable match-ups on the main card and about the fighters that will be stepping into the cage on April 14th.
Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway
This is a match-up between two people’s champions in the lightweight division. Justin Gaethje is a former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion and he currently holds the BMF Title. If you don’t know the BMF title, well, the first two words of the acronym stand for “Baddest Mother F****” and hopefully you can fill in the blanks. In the UFC, this title holds a special significance as it indicates that the titleholder is the epitome of toughness and skill combined with a little bit of swagger. Max Holloway, a former UFC Featherweight Champion, has suggested that Gaethje put his BMF title on the line, giving Holloway the chance to potentially claim it for himself.
Unfortunately, this specific fight has led to much confusion among fans. A quick Google search suggests that this upcoming fight, for which many people were excited, has been canceled. However, the UFC has not released an official statement or reason why the fight potentially might not be going on. Time will tell if fans will be lucky enough to witness this match-up on April 14th.
Charles Oliveira v Arman Tsarukyan
Die-hard Charles Oliviera fans see this fight as a comeback opportunity for the former Lightweight Champion. After all, many people still remember the infamous line, ‘The name of the champion is Charles du Bronx Oliveira’. Recently, Charles has lost two consecutive fights to Islam Makhachev, including one loss in which the Brazilian fighter, Charles, was thoroughly dominated. This fight will be his chance to either break that losing streak and prove naysayers wrong or perhaps it could be a drop, down the rungs of his career ladder. On the other hand, Arman Tsarukyan is an Armenian-Russian professional mixed martial artist who is currently number 4 in the UFC lightweight rankings. He hasn’t had the chance to hold a belt yet but of course, like any UFC fighter, he has ambitions.
Weili Zhang Vs Yan Xiaonan
Zhang Weili is a beast of a fighter. This is proven not only by her status as the two-time and current UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion or by her impressive professional record of 24 wins and 3 losses but rather her mentality, heart, perseverance, and strength when in the ring. Despite facing language barriers when fighting in front of English-speaking audiences, Zhang Weili always manages to win over the crowd by putting on dominant performances and quipping funny one-liners. She will fight Yan Xiaonan, another Chinese professional mixed martial artist for the co-main event of UFC 300. Yan Xiaonan is an impressive fighter herself and is sure to give the current champ a run for her money. In fact, Yan Xiaonan is the number 1 contender and she is ranked 10th overall in the UFC women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Other notable fights
Of course, there are a couple of other fights that will feature on the main card. This list includes Bo Nickal vs Cody Brundage and the main event, Alex Pereria vs Jamahal Hill. These will also be exciting to watch, especially seeing as this will be the first time Alex Pereria, an elite kickboxer defends his Light Heavyweight belt.
Overall thoughts
For MMA fans, UFC 300 will be a night to remember. There are many technical fighters that those who are well-versed in the art of MMA will enjoy watching. There are several black belts and elite fighters whose control and precision are beautiful to watch, truly exemplifying the ‘art’ of mixed martial arts’. However, for casual observers and the general public, it must be said that UFC 300 seems to lack the star power of fighters who not only dominate the ring but also put on a performance when speaking into the mike, fighters like Sugar Sean O’Malley, Colby Covington or Israel Adesanya to name a few.
To conclude
In sum, UFC 300 will be an exciting event for UFC fans to tune into. The event will be particularly appealing to fans who have a healthy interest in the intricacies and technical skills of martial arts as there are many elite technical fighters on the main card. This list discusses several match-ups on the main card and provides some brief overall thoughts. Now, all there is to do is place your bets and wait in anticipation of the fights!
