Saturday night proved to be one for the record books as UFC gave fans all they could have asked for
• 2 min read
UFC 300 somehow exceeded its own lofty expectations. The milestone event delivered some of the most thrilling finishes in recent years and dramatic action in Las Vegas with all 13 fights giving fans something to talk about.
The main event saw Alex Pereira make quick work of Jamahal Hill to retain his light heavyweight crown. Pereira, who previously held the middleweight title, is hoping for a quick turnaround to fight on UFC 301 in Brazil next month. Plus, women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili retained her title with a decision over Yan Xiaonan. That fight saw some dramatic swings as Zhang appeared to finish Yan twice in the first two rounds only for Yan to rally in the middle rounds and give the champ all she could handle.
But the highlight of the night had to be Max Holloway. “Blessed” battered former lightweight title challenger Justin Gaethje over five rounds before delivering a brutal knockout that left Gaethje out cold with one second left on the clock. The former featherweight king hopes to get a shot at either the featherweight or lightweight titles next.
After UFC CEO Dana White promised to bump up the performance bonuses from $50,000 to $300,000 at Thursday’s press conference, fighters went all out to capture the extra money. Holloway did just that as he earned both Performance of the Night and shared Fight of the Night with Gaethje. The other Performance of the Night award went to Jiri Prochazka for his rally to TKO Aleksandr Rakic on the prelims.
CBS Sports was with you throughout fight week with the latest news, in-depth features and betting advice to consider. Thanks for stopping by and we’ll see you at UFC 301 in Brazil.
UFC 300 fight card, odds
- Alex Pereira (c) def. Jamahal Hill via first-round knockout (punch)
- Zhang Weili (c) def. Yan Xiaonan via unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45)
- Max Holloway def. Justin Gaethje via fifth-round knockout (punch)
- Arman Tsarukyan def. Charles Oliveira via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Bo Nickal def. Cody Brundage via second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
- Jiri Prochazka def. Aleksandar Rakic via second-round TKO (punches)
- Aljamain Sterling def. Calvin Kattar via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Kayla Harrison def. Holly Holm via second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
- Diego Lopes def. Sodiq Yusuff via first-round TKO (punches)
- Renato Moicano def. Jalin Turner via second-round TKO (punches)
- Jessica Andrade def. Marina Rodriguez via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Bobby Green def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-25, 29-26)
- Deiveson Figueiredo def. Cody Garbrandt via second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
UFC 300 countdown
- Staff predictions and expert picks for the main event
- Mahjouri: Pereira not motivated by revenge for Teixeira vs. Hill
- Brookhouse: Best bets to consider on the main card
- Campbell: Where UFC stands ahead of milestone event
- Mahjouri: Fight-by-fight breakdown for Saturday
- Mahjouri: Gaethje says he wants title shot in November if successful vs. Holloway
- Campbell: Five biggest storylines to watch at milestone event
