5 takeaways from UFC 300: Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill
With a multitude of former and current champions on offer, UFC 300 was billed as the greatest card ever assembled. Did it deliver? You bet.
UFC 300: Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill saw some of the wildest fights in recent memory, including arguably the most memorable knockout we've ever seen in the octagon.
So, with so much action and big fights going on, there's a lot to break down when it comes to last night's mega-event.
Here are five takeaways from UFC 300: Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill.
#5. Should the UFC push Kayla Harrison straight to the top?
UFC 300's preliminary card was filled with major fights, but arguably the most fascinating of them all was the debut of judo Olympic gold medallist Kayla Harrison.
Harrison had been snacking on overmatched foes in the PFL for years prior to her octagon debut, but quite how she'd do in the big show was a major question mark.
After passing the first test - the first-ever time she'd made the 135-pound bantamweight limit - on Friday, she then passed her second last night.
Harrison made light work of former titleholder Holly Holm, and while 'The Preacher's Daughter' looked old and played into the judoka's hands by initiating the clinch, it was still impressive.
So, what's next for Harrison? Realistically, the matchmakers should push her directly into a title fight.
Few fighters have done what she did to Holm, and the bantamweight division is thin anyway, with a somewhat unproven champion in Raquel Pennington.
If Harrison is ready for a quick turnaround, they ought to book her into a title fight before the end of 2024. She could well signal the beginning of a new era at 135 pounds.
#4. When will Jiri Prochazka's crazy style catch up to him?
Arguably, the most chaotic fight on offer at UFC 300 was Jiri Prochazka's wild brawl with Aleksandar Rakic.
It didn't seem to be Prochazka's night in the first round. Rakic kicked the hell out of the legs of 'BJP', slowing him down and landing the bigger punches, too.
In the second round, though, that changed. Prochazka switched it up and turned the fight into something much wilder. The Czech fighter rushed his Austrian foe, drew him into a wild brawl that saw both men throwing bombs, and eventually dropped Rakic with a barrage and finished him off shortly after.
It was a crazy ending to the fight that quite rightfully earned Prochazka a $300k bonus, but it also raised a number of questions.
Firstly, given that current light-heavyweight champ Alex Pereira is a precision striker with scary power, is this crazy style ever going to be enough to allow 'BJP' to regain the title he lost to the Brazilian last year?
More importantly, it's fun to watch, but this style means Prochazka always takes so much damage in his fights. Given that he's been around for over a decade now, how much longer can he keep it up?
Both are fair questions, but for now, the Czech fighter can bask in the glory of another violent finish.
#3. Will Arman Tsaruykan have to fight again before he gets a title shot?
One of last night's bigger winners was Arman Tsarukyan, and even if he didn't pick up the finish, he was clearly after.
The Armenian lightweight contender was able to outpoint former 155-pound kingpin Charles Oliveira, surviving a couple of deep submission attempts to largely dominate.
Tsarukyan took top position in each round of the fight, and in the second in particular, he abused 'do Bronx' with ground and pound, cutting him open with elbows.
However, despite the fight being billed as a title eliminator of sorts, will Tsarukyan now be able to take his shot at Islam Makhachev? To be honest, it feels doubtful.
Unfortunately for the Armenian, his performance was good, but not great, and didn't thrill like some of the other finishes on this card.
Add in the fact that Makhachev is now scheduled to fight Dustin Poirier in the headliner of UFC 302 on June 1, and the timing means that Tsarukyan might well have to fight again before he gets his opportunity.
Unfortunately for the Armenian, that may well mean a future date with the dangerous Max Holloway - and could put an end to his title hopes.
#2. Alex Pereira is a badass - but should the UFC match him with a grappler next?
Alex Pereira made sure that UFC 300 ended with a real exclamation mark, as he turned the lights out on Jamahal Hill midway through the first round.
The earlier Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway fight had been for the largely symbolic 'BMF' title, but after seeing what Pereira did, it was hard to shake the idea that the Brazilian is, in fact, the baddest man in the promotion.
'Poatan' shrugged off a low blow literally moments before he cracked Hill with his trademark left hook.
The punch didn't even seem to land cleanly, yet it was still powerful enough to drop 'Sweet Dreams', leaving Pereira to bounce his head off the mat with follow-up punches for the finish.
'Poatan' has now beaten three of the last four men to hold the light-heavyweight title before him, meaning it's hard to deny his spot at the top of the 205-pound division.
However, questions about his grappling still exist, meaning that his next assignment should almost certainly test that. Essentially, it's time for Pereira to fight Magomed Ankalaev, and if he can beat the Dagestani, it'd be time to call him an all-time great.
#1. Was Max Holloway's knockout of Justin Gaethje the greatest in UFC history?
While UFC 300 delivered the goods in terms of great fights from start to finish, at one point, it looked like it was missing that all-time classic moment to push it toward legendary status.
Thankfully, that moment was delivered by Max Holloway in his highly-anticipated five-round fight with Justin Gaethje.
Sure, the 'BMF' title might be a symbolic one, but it was hard not to get excited to see these two all-timers squaring off.
Unsurprisingly, from the bout's opening seconds, 'The Highlight' and 'Blessed' did not disappoint.
They threw all they had at one another, and coming into the fifth and final round, it was hard to split them.
Holloway had probably just about gotten the better of the early going, seemingly breaking Gaethje's nose with a spin kick in the first. Gaethje, though, had hung tough and managed to drop 'Blessed' in the fourth.
The final round followed a similar pattern, but with seconds remaining, something truly crazy happened.
Holloway, deciding to do away with any remaining caution, beckoned Gaethje to the center of the octagon for a trade-off. 'The Highlight' naturally obliged, and from there, they exchanged wildly.
Hollywood itself could not have scripted what would happen next. With a second remaining, Holloway landed a clean overhand right, instantly switching Gaethje's lights off and sending him crashing to the ground face-first.
In the hours that have followed the event, the knockout has understandably gone viral. 'Blessed' was a star before, but following this finish - the joint-latest in UFC history - he's likely to shoot into the stratosphere.
This was not only the immortal moment that pushed UFC 300 into the realm of legend, but it also remains hard to shake the idea that it might've been the greatest knockout in octagon history, too.