SUMMARY
- UFC 300's main event was recently announced by Dana White amidst much fanfare.
- Alex Pereira will defend his UFC Light Heavyweight Title against Jamahal Hill on UFC 300.
UFC’s milestone PPV UFC 300 is less than two months away. The stacked fight card was gradually being announced by UFC CEO Dana White. The main event for the PPV was left to be announced and it was becoming increasingly uncertain when the announcement will take place. However, soon after the completion of UFC 298 on February 17, 2024, White made the announcement.
Alex Pereira will be defending his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against former champion Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC 300. The rumors that did the rounds about the headliner rarely ever included this fight. Conor McGregor, Israel Adesanya, and Alex Pereira were certainly the names that were on several fans’ minds but Pereira’s first title defense against Hill came as a surprise.
YOUR #UFC300 MAIN EVENT IS OFFICIAL 🚨@AlexPereiraUFC vs @JamahalH for the light heavyweight title on April 13th!! pic.twitter.com/6j2EyBTZX4
— UFC (@ufc) February 18, 2024
Initially, fans were not fond of the idea. White came under severe criticism from fans for his announcement. However, gradually, it became a mixed bag of reactions. On the other hand, the fighters have also had a mixed reaction to the main event.
Renato Moicano was not impressed by the UFC 300 card set up by Dana White
UFC veteran Renato Moicano was left disappointed with UFC CEO Dana White. According to Moicano, White hyped up the main event but did not deliver within expectations. In a rant on his YouTube channel, Moicano claimed, “Dana White said we won’t believe the main event, expectations were very high… It’s one of the UFC’s biggest failures.”
The Brazilian MMA fighter believed that “something is missing” from the UFC 300 main event. He said fighters like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones are more UFC 300 worthy. “Conor, Jones, and Khabib. Conor McGregor VS Charles Oliveira, that is a fight worthy of the 300 main event… Leon Edwards vs Khamzat Chimaev or Islam Makhachev, that is also worthy.”
Renato Moicano isn’t a fan of the UFC’s choice for the #UFC300 main event
“UFC 300 is a mess. It’s one of the biggest failures of the UFC, and UFC 300 just ruined UFC 301 in Brazil.
It’s a good card, but it’s not 300 worth. The expectations of 300 was a big thing.”
🎥 Money… pic.twitter.com/YN9fPcVczD
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 21, 2024
However, what displeased Moicano more were the ripple effects of UFC 300. UFC 301 is set to take place in Brazil in May. Just like UFC Fight Night 237 in February is set to feature several Mexican fighters, Moicano was hoping to see Brazilian fighters at UFC 301. Brazilian fan favorites such as Pereira and Charles Oliveira are now booked for UFC 300.
“People love Charles Oliveira, he’s the biggest star in Brazilian MMA… Alex Pereira defending his title in Brazil, that would be crazy,” said Moicano. Rumors have suggested that Pereira will fight at UFC 300 and UFC 301. However, that is unlikely.
Former Bellator fighter Dillon Danis criticized the hype surrounding the UFC 300 main event
Former Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Dillon Danis was also left displeased by UFC 300’s main event. Danis, who was in the limelight for his boxing bout against Logan Paul, has gone quiet since. He talked several times about coming to the UFC and even called out Dana White for it. However, he is still nowhere near making a UFC debut.
To make matters worse, he has criticized the UFC chief’s decision. He took to X and wrote, “We waited 6 months for the UFC 300 announcement to be Jamahal Hill?”
We waited 6 months for the UFC 300 announcement to be Jamahal Hill?
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) February 18, 2024
Danis claimed Hill was not worthy of a main event spot at UFC 300. Hill (12-1) is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He won the title by defeating Glover Teixeira at UFC 283. However, Hill had to vacate the title soon after because he suffered from an injury. ‘Sweet Dreams’ did not want to halt the division.
Former UFC fighter Ben Askren believes Dana White “let us down”
Former Bellator and One Welterweight Champion Ben Askren also gave his views on the UFC 300 main event. On one episode of the Funky & the Champ show alongside Daniel Cormier, Askren felt White let the fans down.
“You know, this is what I tell my athletes,” Askren said. “Dana, you tried your best. You worked hard to get something. You let us down a little bit, but it happens sometimes! We can’t all be the best every time.”
Much like Moicano, Askren also believed a name like McGregor or Jones was more UFC 300 worthy. He claimed that the fight card was stacked and the main event was a great fight. However, “it doesn’t feel UFC 300ish, it doesn’t,” Askren said.
“We needed something a little bigger, like Pereira vs. (Tom) Aspinall, Jon Jones coming back, (Conor) McGregor vs. (Michael) Chandler. He (White) tried, he tried to make it happen… I will be excited to watch, but it doesn’t have the feel that — you remember UFC 100?”
Several fans along with the fighters were not impressed by the UFC 300 main event. However, the mixed reviews also involved some fans and fighters being delighted with the announcement.
Michael Bisping believes UFC 300 is a phenomenal event
Former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping was extremely happy with the UFC 300 main event. “Fantastic news, a brilliant fight,” Bisping told TNT Sports’ Fight Week Review Show.
In January 2023, Hill won the title against Teixeira. Months later in July, Hill announced on his YouTube channel that he was vacating the title because he had suffered an injury. Hill revealed that he suffered an Achilles injury during a basketball game.
Bisping believes Hill is the rightful challenger to the title. “Jamahal is the rightful No. 1 contender. Alex Pereira, come on. A two-weight division champion, beating former champions, the rise through the ranks in the UFC is phenomenal.”
Moreover, Bisping criticized the chatter online instead. He claimed that UFC 300 is a “phenomenal event” and every fight could be a main event.
Chael Sonnen believes Alex Pereira deserves his spot at UFC 300
Another former UFC fighter who justified the UFC 300 main event is Chael Sonnen. The UFC veteran took to his YouTube channel to explain that Pereira was always a top option for the main event. There were talks of Tom Aspinall and Pereira’s climb to heavyweight only because there was no other option.
According to Sonnen, since Hill was back and ready to fight, it was a no-brainer to go for a UFC 300 main event involving Hill and Pereira.
Jamahal Hill gives his take on the UFC 300 main event and fans’ expectations
Hill was aware of the chatter online about his main event appearance at UFC 300. He blamed the fans for calling him out while he was injured but now being averse to the idea of his comeback.
“The reaction to this has been kind of a mix of things and there and whatnot. There’s been a lot of outrage, a lot of disappointment, and things like that.
To be honest, it’s crazy to me because for the most part, a lot of these people are the same people that have spent the better part of a year or however long calling me ‘cry baby’ but it’s crazy to see how a card can be stacked—the main card literally has a former champion or champion in every single fight and some even facing former champions.”
Like Bisping, Hill also claimed that every other fight could be a main event on its own. He was displeased with the fans for having unreal expectations.
UFC 300 is a stacked card with several strong fights in prelims as well. Three title fights including the Women’s Strawweight Championship, the BMF title, and the Light Heavyweight Championship will be defended on the night. The event will take place on April 13, 2024, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.