Two Former Champions Have Already Agreed to Fights at UFC 300
UFC CEO Dana White promised the fanbase that UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, would be a memorable evening from the top of the card to the bottom. The event may have a theme if the early fight announcement indicates what to expect. Two of the first three billed fights feature former champions coming off a loss and looking for redemption.
Having those types of fighters set to compete could make it exciting because they will be motivated to return to their previous status at the top of the promotion. The other fight will feature one of the hottest prospects in recent UFC history getting back into the octagon. But White won’t be done teasing announcements of who else will fight.
UFC 300 has been the long-mentioned possible return for former champion Conor McGregor. McGregor is back in the drug-testing program but has yet to be confirmed for any opponent. It is expected McGregor will have his fight with former lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler, who was the coach opposite McGregor on The Ultimate Fighter.
These next few months should be an exciting time for anyone following MMA breaking news. The promotion wants UFC 300 to be a memorable event.
Procházka Eager to Answer the Call
Jiří Procházka has rotten luck. Procházka had one of the most dramatic wins in UFC history when he submitted Glover Teixeira with 28 seconds left in the fight at UFC 275 to win the light heavyweight championship in June 2022. But Prochazka’s reign ended up being short-lived.
Procházka suffered a shoulder injury in training that left him out for nearly a year and a half. When Procházka returned at UFC 295, he was afforded a shot at regaining his title. But Alex Pereira would be too harsh of a challenge, knocking out Procházka in the second round.
While some questioned the stoppage as early, Procházka stamped out the controversy by saying he had no issue with the referee’s decision. Procházka hopes to get back on track against dangerous Austrian striker Aleksander Rakić.
Rakić can sympathize with Procházka’s injury situation. During Rakić’s last fight in the octagon, he lost to Jan Blachowicz after suffering a knee injury in May 2022. Rakić, ranked fifth, is 14-3 in his career and should provide an exciting challenge for Procházka.
Aljo Ready to Climb Up in Weight
After his last fight with Sean O’Malley, Aljamain Sterling planned to move up in weight class. The former bantamweight champion wanted to beat O’Malley, regain his title, and then challenge Alexander Volkanovski in a super fight for the featherweight championship. But things didn’t work out as Sterling had hoped.
O’Malley pulled off an upset, knocking out Sterling in the second round. Instead of getting a shot at the champion, Sterling must prove his skill set can translate to a heavier weight class. At UFC 300, Sterling will take on No. 7 ranked Calvin Kattar to see where he is overall.
Kattar has built a reputation during his UFC career for being a fighter who can handle the rigors of five-round fights. Kattar has been a part of the main event of the past five cards he fought on. In four of those bouts, the fight went all five rounds and needed judges to pick a winner.
The issue for Kattar is that he needs to be on the right side of those decisions too often. He lost to former champion Max Holloway and Josh Emmett by decision. Kattar’s last defeat, a TKO loss to a knee injury in October 2022, was the second straight loss for Kattar and his third in his past four fights.
If Kattar wants to stay in the championship picture, he will need to start turning those results around.
Don’t Forget about Bo
Former Penn State wrestler Bo Nickal has been one of the most hyped-up prospects to hit the UFC in some time. Nickal made waves by earning a spot on Dana White’s Contender Series after one knockout win on the regional scene. Nickal followed that up by winning two fights on Dana White’s Contender Series shows.
Once Nickal made the main roster, he picked up two victories by stoppage to improve to 5-0. However, Nickal still hasn’t faced top competition yet. His opponent at UFC 300, Cody Brundage, is a competent fighter. While he isn’t one of the contenders for a title, Brundage has been active over the past year.
Brundage is 10-5 in his career and isn’t afraid to push for a finish. During Brundage’s last fight in December, he won via a slam and punches. In 2023, Brundage finished 2-2, with three of his fights ending by finish. While Nickal will likely have more prominent fighters in his career after Brundage, this fight is an excellent way to measure where Nickal is, according to the best MMA news site.
Return of Mystic Mac?
There is hope many more top fighters will be added to the UFC 300 lineup. For the UFC 200 card, the promotion brought back former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar for one more fight. However, the UFC has already confirmed that Lesnar and Ronda Rousey won’t return for a cameo appearance.
However, the UFC knows one big draw will bring in eyeballs: McGregor. McGregor doesn’t have much time left to fight. He has already been out of the octagon for more than three years. It is unlikely that McGregor will ever be in the championship picture again.
But McGregor’s drawing power remains unmatched in MMA circles. If McGregor is willing, setting up the potential super fight against other top draws can help bring the UFC a ton of revenue. Many people want to fight McGregor because of the potential for earning a bigger salary for taking the bout.
It’s all up to the Irishman to sign on the dotted line.
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