Long Awaited UFC 300 Main Event Will Settle Who is the Light Heavyweight King

The fervor surrounding the main event announcement was getting out of control as the UFC attempted to find a bout fitting to be the headliner for the company’s 300th numbered card. What the UFC came up with will satisfy the people attending UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena on April 13. Current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will get to settle who the true king is at light heavyweight.

Pereira won the vacant light heavyweight championship at UFC 295 in November 2023. When Pereira won the title, he did so during a second-round TKO win over Jiří Procházka, who previously had to vacate the championship due to a shoulder injury. Pereira’s opponent at UFC 300 is in a similar position to Procházka.

Jamahal Hill had to vacate the light heavyweight title due to an injury during a pickup basketball game during UFC International Fight Week. Hill tore his ACL in July 2023 and vacated the title soon after. MMAfighting latest updates show that Hill will be eager to take on Pereira, who has picked up an incredible amount of steam.

The announcement is likely a big relief for the promoters and fans alike. Rumors have been swirling over the past few weeks. Many hoped that Conor McGregor would make his return at UFC 300, but it’s hard to say when the Irish superstar will, or even if he will, come back. Giving Pereira another opportunity to shine on the big stage keeps one of their most formidable champions active.

Pereira will have his hands full protecting his reputation as one of the toughest men in the sport against Hill.

Championship Fights Will Highlight the Night

There will be two legitimate title fights at UFC 300. In addition to the Pereira-Hill fight, Zhang Weili will attempt to defend her women’s strawweight championship belt against countrywoman Yan Xiaonan. Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway will also compete for the “BMF” belt, which is mostly a ceremonial belt that has only been defended once.

Another fun fight at UFC 300 will be a lightweight bout between Bobby Green and Jim Miller. Miller will be the only fighter in UFC history to compete at UFC 100, 200, and 300. Of course, Miller can only hit that milestone if the fight actually happens. Green and Miller have been scheduled to fight three times before, according to MMA news sites.

All three fights were called off due to Green withdrawing from the fight for various reasons.

From Contender Series to Champion

There are many different ways to land in the UFC, but Hill came along during an era when things were changing. While fighters sometimes grind on the regional scene for most of their careers, hoping for a call from the UFC, Hill became part of the generation with an accelerated track to the big time. UFC CEO Dana White created a show called Dana White’s Contender Series.

While the UFC still does The Ultimate Fighter reality show, the contender series show would provide top prospects with the opportunity to impress the boss and earn a contract. Hill did so in July 2019 by scoring a third-round TKO win over Alexander Poppeck to improve his career to 6-0.

Other than a failed drug test that rendered his second UFC win a no-contest, Hill appeared to be on the fast track to the title. A surprising loss to Paul Craig set him back at UFC 263. However, Hill rallied to win four straight fights and won the belt to become the first fighter from the contender series to become an undisputed champion.

Hill Had to Weather Some Personal Controversy

Hill climbed the mountain and beat Glover Teixeira in a five-round decision at UFC 283 in January 2023 to claim the championship. But Hill, who is 12-1 as a professional, hasn’t had much luck since reaching his career-high point by winning the championship. Getting injured was bad.

But Hill got in another fight late in 2023. This time, Hill was accused of assaulting his brother. Hill was arrested in late November and still has some court hearings ahead of him. Hill was accused of sucker-punching his brother.

Pereira Has Delivered on Promise

There were real questions on how Pereira would be in the octagon. Pereira was recruited to the UFC to pit him against his former kickboxing rival, Israel Adesanya, for the middleweight title if Pereira proved he could hold his own. While Pereira’s grappling isn’t anything people would pay to watch, his striking and toughness led to his success in the octagon.

Pereira won his first championship by knocking out his old rival at UFC 281. While Pereira lost the rematch at UFC 287, he wasn’t done pursuing accolades. Pereira went up to light heavyweight and found success again. After a win over Jan Błachowicz at UFC 291, Pereira would get his shot at Procházka.

Pereira Hopes to Make More History

Winning the light heavyweight championship put Pereira in an exclusive club. Only nine fighters have held championships in two different weight divisions in UFC history. What Pereira has yet to do is defend a title. After beating Adesanya, Pereira was knocked out in the rematch.

Hill has also never defended a championship either. While Hill isn’t the champion heading into this bout, he will no doubt feel that he should have the attitude of a champion since he never lost the belt in the ring. This will be a heck of a main event.

While online boxing news shows Pereira is one of the all-time great kickboxers, he needs to continue picking up wins in the octagon to build his legend. Pereira is already one of the most intimidating men in the sport. Fighting at UFC 300 will be a tremendous honor for Pereira, who has already accomplished a lot despite only having a short time in the sport.

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By Dean McHugh.