UFC 300 Main Card Predictions
(via Franchise Sports Media)
In the leadup to UFC 300, former fighters, journalists, and UFC officials have said it is the most stacked card ever made, if not the most stacked card in combat sports history. There are a total of 12 former and current champions that will be competing, which is the most on any card in UFC history.
The magnitude of this event can not be overstated, and the five fights on the main card reaffirm just how special it actually is. here are our predictions with the main card, starting with Bo Nickal vs Cody Brundage.
Bo nickal vs. cody brundage (middleweight)
In a card with so many questions and ways it could potentially play out, this may be the easiest fight to predict. Bo Nickal has shown his excellent finishing ability in his first five mixed martial arts fights. Every fight of Nickal’s has been a finish in the first round in spectacular fashion. Brundage, however, will be the first experienced wrestler that Nickal has been matched up against, which makes the fight seem slightly less like a foregone conclusion. Although Brundage may very well be able to defend the submission attempts from Nickal in the early going, his grappling pedigree is not close to that of Nickal.
Bo Nickal via Submission
(1) Charles oliveira vs. (4) Arman Tsarukyan (lightweight)
Although Nickal vs. Brundage is the easiest fight to pick on the card, Oliveira vs Tsarukyan is the fight that is easily the hardest to predict on the entire card. Both of these men have knckout power and have excellent grappling once the fight hits the mat. The difference maker could very well be the type of grappling both fighters excel in. Oliveira’s jiu-jitsu is statistically the most effective in UFC history, affording him 16 wins by submission. Tsarukyan, on the other hand, possesses some of the best pressure wrestling in the lightweight division, highlighted by his performance against current UFC Lightweight Champion, Islam Makhachev where he gave the champion many problems on the ground despite elite grappler Makhachev is. This fight may very well come down to Tsarukyan’s submission defense against the best submission grappler in UFC history. It has largely been very good, but if he is not careful, he could leave himself in danger. The experience of Oliveira’s grappling will likely be the difference maker in this fight.
Oliveira via Submission
(2) Justin Gaethje vs. (2-ftw) max holloway (bmf title fight, lightweight)
This fight has chaos written all over it. These two are the most violent in their respective divisions for different reasons. Gaethje is known for his excitement due to his heavy hands and relentless forward pressure. He routinely puts on fight of the night performances that leave the fans in attendance in awe. Holloway is statistically the best volume striker in UFC history, and it is not even close. His career total of 3197 significant strikes landed is over a thousand more than Angela Hill, who is in second place all time. Holloway also has relentless pressure and uses that to drown his opponents. On top of this, despite the fact that Holloway has been hit with more significant strikes in UFC history, and has still never been knocked down, let alone knocked out. This fight is truly an example of an unstoppable force meeting an immoveable object. The x factor will certainly be how Gaethje’s cardio will hold up over the course of five rounds. It seems very likely that Holloway will be able to weather the storm in the early going, and be able to ware Gaethje out over time, leading to a long drawn out war that Holloway has been in many times.
Holloway via Decision
(c) Zhang weili vs (1) yan xiaonan (women’s strawweight championship co-main event)
In a vacuum, there should be no way that Zhang Weili looses this fight. Her grappling is far superior to that of Yan, and her heavy handed striking will likely put Yan on notice early. However, due to her tendency to get countered while moving in may leave her open to counters. Yan Xiaonan is known for her ability to find openings moving backward, and has knocked out several opponents by doing this. This seems to be a perfect opportunity for Yan to get a monumental upset against Zhang. If she is able to avoid the takedown attempts of Zhang, and ensure that she keeps enough range to counter, this could be a very winnable fight for Yan. Various journalists have downplayed Yan’s chances, and it seems like this could very well be an upset.
Yan via Knockout
(c) Alex Pereira vs (1) Jamahal Hill (Light Heavyweight Championship main event)
Jamahal hill is finally returning to fight for the title he never lost. Hill suffered an Achilles tear that forced him to vacate the Light Heavyweight Title. Alex Pereira has put together a resume as a mixed martial artist that may never be replicated in such a short time. In his nine mixed martial arts fights, he has won both the middleweight and light heavyweight titles, leaving four former champions in his wake. Despite this, Hill is the best striker Pereira has yet to face in the light heavyweight division. Both men possess tremendous knockout power, and will be trying to shut the lights out in every exchange. Despite the fact that Pereira is the more experienced kickboxer, Hill has better straight punches and has the grappling advantage. Despite the meteoric rise of Alex Pereira, Hill will likely have a better chance in this fight.
Hill via TKO
UFC 300 will take place this Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The early prelims will start at 6:00p.m. EST and the main card will begin at 10p.m. EST.
