UFC 300 Main Card Preview And Predictions
UFC 300 is one of the best fight cards ever assembled. The card features 12 current or former champions, UFC record holders, fan-favorite fighters, and more. The event includes fights for the light heavyweight title, women’s strawweight title, and BMF title. Most importantly, the specific matchups are intriguing and should provide an entertaining fights. In honor of the historic card, the Vendetta Sports Media preview series will cover the main card, prelims, and early prelims.
Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the UFC 300 main card. You can find out prediction records below. In honor of the Bo Nickal fight, we have two extra guests picking on a fight.
James: 35-27
Garrett: 36-26
Jerry: 27-29
Anthony: 31-31
Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage- Middleweight Bout
James: The UFC 300 main card opens with a middleweight bout between Bo Nickal and Cody Brundage. Nickal is a three-time NCAA Wrestling National Champion. That status already makes him a prospect worth watching. Thus far, the MMA transition has been successful. Nickal is 5-0 with two wins in the UFC and two wins on Dana White’s Contender Series. All of those wins were first-round finishes. Brundage is 4-4 in the UFC. This is not a massive test for Nickal rather this is more about showcasing his skills on a massive stage.
Nickal is an elite wrestler and has added submission skills to his game. Once he lands the takedown, he works toward submissions on the ground. It is a positive to see him fuse BJJ into a wrestling-heavy style. It provides much more finish upside to his game. Furthermore, he has shown a willingness to strike. From a long-term perspective, he needs to progress his striking. At the current moment, it is good that he is comfortable on the feet.
In all honesty, Brundage is probably not long for the UFC. The promotion will likely give him a few more fights for accepting a fight against Nickal. In the specific skills, he has some wrestling, but it is not anywhere close to Nickal’s level. Brundage does love to jump for guillotine chokes. As ridiculous as it sounds, he will probably attempt a guillotine in this fight. Lastly, he does hold some punching power. That provides him a puncher’s chance against Nickal.
The preview for the UFC 300 main card opener heavily favors Nickal. That is not a surprise as he is a comically large favorite. Nickal will likely attempt a takedown and find a submission in an early grappling exchange. I will take Nickal via first-round submission.
Garrett: Nickal via submission
Jerry: Nickal via however he wants
Anthony: Nickal via submission
Trey: Bo Nickal
Juulian: Bo Nickal
No. 1 Charles Oliveira vs. No. 4 Arman Tsarukyan- Lightweight Bout
James: The UFC 300 main card quickly heats up with a lightweight bout between Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan. Oliveira, a former champion, is hoping to work his way back to the title. Despite losing a title fight to Islam Makhachev, Oliveira is 12-1 in his last 13 fights. In his most recent outing, he got back in the win column with a knockout against Beniel Dariush. Similarly, Tsarukyan picked up a knockout win over Dariush in his last fight. That victory secured Tsarukyan a fight at the top of the division. Oliveira was the fighter to step up to the plate. Before that rise, Tsarukyan was one of the most promising prospects in the division. At 8-2 in the UFC, he has consistently shown elite skills. This fight will be crucial to the lightweight division and holds massive implications in title talks.
Oliveira is one of the most dangerous fighters in UFC history and holds the record for the most finishes and submissions in the promotion’s history. On the feet, he is chaotic and loves to get into ridiculous brawls. Oliveira’s striking is supplemented with an elite clinch game. In the clinch, he punishes his opponents with knees to the body. The threat of his BJJ and submission skills makes his clinch game even more dangerous because fighters are worried about being taken down. On the ground, Oliveira has great sweeps, attacks legs, and takes the back.
Tsarukyan has elite wrestling. In his UFC career, he has shown elite takedowns, great top control, and dangerous ground and pound. This has already made him a threat, but he has shown striking skills as well. Tsarukyan’s best weapons are his kicks. The way that he uses his hands to disguise his kicks is very impressive.
This is an outstanding fight. The most important factors will be the amount of top time Tsarukyan can rack up and the number of wild striking exchanges. Oliveira can be taken down and often opts to work for submissions of his back. In this fight, Tsarukyan could look to play into that and win rounds with the top position. That said, he will need to defend Oliveria’s sweep attempts and submissions. On the feet, both fighters prefer to move forward. That should result in the pair meeting in the middle and throwing. If that happens, both fighters will have chances to land because they both get hit often in boxing exchanges.
I expect Tsarukyan to get on top at various points in this fight; however, I do not think he will find a finish on the ground. If he does, it will come after hurting Oliveira on the feet. Therefore, there should be several various striking exchanges. In these moments, both fighters have finish upside as they hold knockout power with the ability to follow up with ground-and-pound or submissions. If they get in those exchanges, either fighter could win; however, I favor Oliveira. That is mostly because he has more power and has proven he can land massive strikes that end fights. I will take Oliveira via second-round knockout.
Garrett: Oliveira via submission
Jerry: Oliveira via decision
Anthony: Oliveira via KO/TKO
No. 2 Justin Gaethje vs. No. 2 (FW) Max Holloway- BMF Title Bout
James: At UFC 300, the BMF belt is one line. In the third iteration of the title being up for grabs, Justin Gaethje will attempt to defend the belt against Max Holloway. Gaethje won the belt with a knockout win over Dustin Poirier. Gaethje is the extract person who deserves BMF honors considering his run of violence against the most dangerous lightweights alive. Holloway has made his legacy at featherweight. In the lower division, he has had his fair share of BMF performances. In his only lightweight appearance, he went to war with Dustin Poirier. If anyone deserves to fight Gaethje for the BMF title, it’s Holloway. Plus, this fight screams violence and it is a great excuse to put a fan-friendly war for UFC 300.
Gaethje is a former Division One All-American wrestler turned brawler. The game plan for Gaethje is to create chaos and violence. In fact, he expects wars and does not plan to be alive the next day. Still, he has worked towards controlled chaos, has become far more technical, and has improved defensively. That has yielded much more positive results in the octagon. In terms of specific skills, Gaethje is one of the best leg kickers in the sport. It is remarkable how hard he throws his leg kicks. Furthermore, he has some of the best hooks in MMA which make him lethal in boxing exchanges. The amount of damage that Gaethje can deal allows him to drag opponents into dark places and finish the fight. That is assuming his one-punch power does not melt them first.
Holloway is one of the best boxers in the UFC. The ability to establish straight punches and attack with strong combinations is impressive. In addition to that, he has a wide range of tools, but his well-rounded striking approach is often disregarded. The reason for this is because Holloway picks up tools as needed. If a fight requires that he throw more kicks, he will do that. If an opponent is open to being hit with uppercuts, he will throw more uppercuts. Similarly, he has shown the ability to adjust styles. That is evident in his last two fights. Holloway was forced into a war against Chan Sung Jung and landed a knockout. Meanwhile, against Arnold Allen, Holloway was much more methodical and tactical.
This fight previews to be one of the best fights on UFC 300 and is tough to call. The key for Gaethje to win this fight will be to land counters and leg kicks. This is because counters will dissuade Holloway from pressuring with volume while dealing damage. Meanwhile, leg kicks will make Holloway a more stationary target, allowing Gaethje to pick up his aggression. On the flip side, Holloway needs to use movement and angles to avoid Gaethje’s powerful hooks. Offensively, he needs to throw volume while attacking the body. This investment will pay dividends later in the fight. Lastly, he needs to limit big moments. The worst-case scenario for Holloway is that he wins a large majority of a round while losing one massive moment that swings the round in Gaethje’s favor.
Ultimately, I view this as a close fight but I favor Holloway. First, his style is more adaptable and he has more tools. In addition, he holds the cardio advantage. If he attacks the body, that difference will be pronounced. It should also be noted that Holloway is more physically prepared for this move to lightweight compared to his fight against Poirier. I will take Holloway by fourth-round knockout.
Garrett: Holloway via submission
Jerry: Gaethje via KO/TKO
Anthony: Holloway via decision
(C) Weili Zhang vs. No. 1 Yan Xiaonan- Women’s Strawweight Title Bout
James: The UFC 300 co-main event is a women’s strawweight title fight between Weili Zhang and Yan Xiaonan. Zhang, the only Chinese champion in UFC history, will look to defend her title against countrywoman Xiaonan. Zhang has been sensational in the UFC. At 8-2 in the promotion, she has only lost to Rose Namajunas. Albeit against lesser competition, Xiaonan also sits at 8-2 in the UFC. In her most recent performance, she earned a title fight after landing a first-round knockout against Jessica Andrade.
In my opinion, Zhang is the best female fighter on the planet. The combination of skill and physical traits is absurd. Zhang is one of the most technical strikers in the division and has lethal power. In more recent outings, she has grappled much more often. That has allowed her to take advantage of her opponents’ weaknesses. This all happens while holding a massive advantage in physical strength along with five rounds of cardio.
Xiaonan is a very impressive striker. She is capable of striking with anyone in the division. This begins with her ability to win boxing exchanges in the pocket, but she is also capable of landing longer shots from the outside. The ability to counter while moving backward is also potent. The problem with Xiaonan is that her grappling is miles behind her striking. In her fight against Carla Esparza, her takedown defense looked awful and her ability to get back to her feet was not much better.
The UFC 300 co-main event preview heavily favors Zhang. The well-roundedness in Zhang’s game is the most important aspect of this fight. On the feet, it would probably be a scrap; however, I doubt Zhang strikes for extended periods considering Xiaonan’s grappling weaknesses. I expect Zhang to land takedowns early and often. In the top position, she has submission skills as well as threatening ground and pound. Zhang should finish this fight on the ground. The bigger question is the method. That will largely come down to Zhang’s preference. I will take Zhang by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Zhang via decision
Jerry: Zhang via submission
Anthony: Zhang via submission
(C) Alex Pereira vs. No 1. Jamahal Hill- Light Heavyweight Title Bout
James: The UFC 300 main event is a light heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill. This fight is guaranteed violence as Pereira and Hill have proven themselves as some of the most dangerous strikers in the sport. Pereira has speed-ran the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions with brutal knockouts over a handful of champions. Hill previously held the division’s title but was forced to relinquish the belt after tearing his Achilles tendon. In his performance to win the title, he dominated Glover Teixeira, a friend and coach of Pereira, while landing the most significant strikes in the division’s history. This fight should be a banger for as long as it lasts.
Pereira is one of the most accomplished kickboxers to transition to MMA. In the octagon, he is highly dangerous because he combines technique and power. Pereira is outstanding at destroying his opponent with leg kicks and knocking them out with hooks. If his opponents make a mistake, he can immediately end the fight. Lastly, despite being a former middleweight, Pereira is massive and is on the bigger end of the light heavyweight division.
Hill’s most respected skill is his boxing. That is understandable as he has lethal knockout power and throws in combinations. Plus, he switches stances and has a nice jab. That said, he has an understated kicking and clinch game. Hill is capable of throwing both legs to all three levels. This provides an extra layer to his striking attack, provides him with extra weapons, and allows him to use his length.
The UFC 300 main event should end quickly and someone will be knocked out. Obviously, both guys are dangerous and can be on the winning side; however, I favor Hill. The reasons are because he has knockout power, limits mistakes, and is defensively conscious. In order to beat Pereira you have to put him to sleep or out grapple him. Over multiple rounds, the damage of his leg kicks is impossible to withstand. At the same time, you cannot get wild while chasing the finish or Pereira will land a counter hook. Hill has the skill to find that middle ground.
Hill can be hit, but he utilizes head movement and hammer blocks. That is helpful against Pereira’s deadly hooks. On the other hand, Pereira uses his length to defend shots. That is concerning against Hill because the former champion has the length and tools to land while Pereira’s arms are outstretched. The two most prominent weapons will be HIll’s overhand which can go over the top and his uppercut can go underneath. Furthermore, Hill’s kicks from the outside can work to back Pereira up and create more openings for strikes. If Hill controls the octagon, that will give him ground to work backward while Pereira throws and gives him space to counter.
All of this UFC 300 preview could be thrown in the trash if Pereira lands a few impactful leg kicks or a check hook. That is the type of danger he presents. Similarly, Hill could surprise fans and use his grappling advantage. Those aspects create a fairly volatile fight. All things considered, I will take Hill by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Hill via TKO
Jerry: Pereira via KO/TKO
Anthony: Pereira via KO/TKO
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