With March coming to an end, all eyes will once again be turned to UFC 300. One of the UFC’s biggest milestones, the event promises to be one of the most memorable nights in combat sports history. As such, UFC President Dana White reveals why the event is deserving of the hype it is getting.
Previously, White and co. revealed some of the initial fights for UFC 300, which were well-received among the fans. Thereafter, further additions to the card, and their placements further drove up the hype for the event. With that, the UFC decided to take things a step further, teasing a mind-blowing main event for the same.
Alex Pereira will face Jamahal Hill in the main event of #UFC300, Dana White announced. pic.twitter.com/hPmgj3m3c9
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 18, 2024
In the end, none of what Dana White initially promised happened. Instead, the UFC, desperate to find a main event had to borrow the headliner of UFC 301 at the eleventh hour. As such, it was announced that Alex Pereira would be fighting Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC 300. By all means, the fight is an exciting one but still worlds away from the grandiose promises made by the UFC boss.
Dana White reveals all the records that UFC 300 is about to break
Naturally, it is not always possible for the UFC to deliver on its promises. For the most part, fans would likely have been satisfied had the promotion been transparent from the start, instead of setting unrealistic expectations. After all, despite not having an otherworldly main event, this fight is, by all means, the most stacked card in UFC history.
In a recent interview with Adam Catterall and TNT Sports, Dana White revealed what his plans were for UFC 300. At the same time, he then revealed what they, in essence, had managed to put together:
“I wanted it to be: ‘When the first prelim of the night starts, you have to be in front of the television’. You can’t miss one fight on this card. So when you look at 300 right, we have, 12 former and current undisputed/interim champions, 7 pound-for-pound fighters, almost every fight features a ranked contender, 16 ranked fighters in total, and it’s expected to break every record at the T-Mobile Arena with a $15 million gate”.
Thus, it is no surprise that the event is set to be something truly special entirely. Additionally, the projected $15 million gate will be competing directly with UFC 264: McGregor vs Poirier 3 and UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor, which are the #3 and #2 biggest gates in UFC history.
Fans have slowly changed their mind on UFC 300
As mentioned previously, the initial fight announcements drummed up a lot of hype for UFC 300. With the likes of Aljamain Sterling, Jiri Prochazka, Deiveison Figueiredo, and more former champions on the undercard, it set a very promising tone from the get-go. However, the announcement of certain fights did not please the fans as much.
Following the announcement of Zhang Weili vs Yan Xiaonan in the co-main event, many were left a little let down. Further, the addition of Jessica Andrade vs Marina Rodriguez, a fight that could have been moved to UFC 301, was seen as a waste of space on a card as special as 300. However, the signing of Kayla Harrison and Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway was a well-timed way of smoothing things over with the fans.
We 👏 Can’t 👏 Wait 👏#UFC300 is almost here 👀
Buy the PPV early: https://t.co/kOInf4xnPV pic.twitter.com/28gPiZopRA
— UFC (@ufc) March 24, 2024
With the headliner announced shortly after UFC 298, fans were still a little hesitant about the event. However, an eagle-eye view shows the sheer magnificence and awesomeness of the card. Other than that, the fact that Bo Nickal has somehow found his way on the main card, above numerous former champions, is beyond anyone. All in all, the event will make for a great watch from start to finish, and be one of the best nights of fighting we’ve seen.
