UFC 300 official scorecards: One-judge had BMF fight tied, Charles Oliveira's split decision loss, and more
UFC 300 has just wrapped up, punctuating what the promotion hopes will be its most successful event of the year. The event was defined by back-and-forth thrillers, jaw-dropping finishes, and unforgettable, inimitable moments. Even some of the UFC 300 scorecards were on point.
The event featured two undisputed title fights, with Alex Pereira defending his light heavyweight strap against the returning Jamahal Hill, and Zhang Weili defending her women's strawweight crown against fellow Chinese countrywoman, Yan Xiaonan.
A third fight for a symbolic title, the 'BMF' championship, was also featured, pitting Max Holloway against Justin Gaethje. With countless high-profile fights on the line, the team of judges had the task of a lifetime with the UFC 300 scorecards.
Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill
Alex Pereira had a flawless performance against Jamahal Hill. The pair locked horns for three minutes, which saw 'Poatan' land his trademark calf kicks. While Hill tried to counter with kicks of his own, including some round kicks to the midsection, it was for naught, as Pereira quickly figured out his timing.
The Brazilian began changing levels to stab his foe with jabs to the gut before an unintentional kick to the groin from the challenger compelled referee Herb Dean to step to call a brief time-out to allow 'Poatan' to recover. However, in typical fashion, Pereira stoically stuck his hand out, stopping Dean from interfering with the fight.
He never even glanced in his direction. Once the action restarted, Pereira dipped low, teasing another body jab, before uncorking his signature left hook over the top as Hill dropped his hands. The challenger was knocked down, and Pereira pounced with ground-and-pound to knock 'Sweet Dreams' unconscious.
Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan
The Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan women's strawweight title fight was a clash of two tales. Zhang was, by far, the better grappler, despite some questionable moments. Meanwhile, Yan had the clear edge on the feet, sniping the champion with counterpunches down the middle, even knocking her down at one point.
However, 'Magnum' was able to consistently ground her opponent with takedowns and trips, where she was dominant. Round one almost saw her end the fight with a rear-naked choke in its dying seconds. While Yan seemed to survive, she was unconscious for a brief moment and had to be assisted to her corner.
A smelling salts-related controversy arose, but Yan's corner had instead used Vaseline to fully awaken her. Once the fight resumed, Zhang seemed fatigued from squeezing so hard on the prior choke but managed to battle through her exhaustion to continue outwrestling her foe en route to a unanimous decision.
Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje
Many were under the impression that Max Holloway would be outgunned by the more traditionally powerful puncher, Justin Gaethje, especially at lightweight, where 'Blessed's' previous outing against Dustin Poirier proved too physical a challenge for him to overcome.
Instead, Holloway proved to be the more damaging striker, breaking Gaethje's nose with a spinning back-kick as 'The Highlight' ducked into it in round one. It became his weapon of choice, and he landed it at will at several points, while outboxing an over-swinging Gaethje, who just couldn't find a home for his strikes.
Holloway was, however, knocked down for the first time in his career on a blow that did land. The stats, however, don't credit Gaethje with the knockdown. But it hardly mattered, as the fight progressed, Holloway continued to be in the driver's seat before pointing to the center of the octagon in the final ten seconds.
The two men traded punches, before a right hand from Holloway face-planted Gaethje, crowning him the new 'BMF' champion. Strangely, one judge by the name of Junichiro Kamijo had the fight as a draw before the finish.
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Charles Oliveira
Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira competed for a crack at lightweight gold, and it proved to be a competitive tussle between two high-level 155-pounders. An early low kick from 'Do Bronx' swept Tsarukyan off his feet as the latter attempted a high kick. From there, Oliveira immediately jumped on a guillotine.
However, as is often the case when facing another high-level grappler, the guillotine proved extremely difficult to finish, and Tsarukyan worked his way out of it. Throughout the bout, there was little in the way of striking, as both men grappled and wrestled with one another.
Tsarukyan, however, proved to be the more effective wrestler, though he struggled to do anything of much significance, even with his ground-and-pound. But in the end, he won a split decision to throw his name into the hat of lightweight title contention.
Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage
Bo Nickal had to spend the last few weeks defending his position on the main card of UFC 300, as many felt it was undeserved given his unranked status at middleweight. Nevertheless, the matchup went onward and the high-level wrestler faced the overmatched Cody Brundage.
Most of the fight, which lasted for just two rounds, consisted of Nickal outwrestling a defensive Brundage, who made him work for takedowns. Round two was more of the same, but Nickal seemed to slow down a bit. After securing the mount position, he took the time to rest.
However, Brundage's decision to try and explode out of the position proved disastrous, as he exposed his back, allowing Nickal to lock in a rear-naked choke for the submission win.
Jiri Prochazka vs. Alexander Rakic
Aljamain Sterling vs. Calvin Kattar
Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
Diego Lopes vs. Sodiq Yusuff
Renato Moicano vs. Jalin Turner
Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez
Bobby Green vs. Jim Miller
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt
