UFC 300 Fight Card: PPV Schedule, Odds and Predictions for ...

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Alex Pereira squares off against Jamahal HillJeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC 300 brings a landmark card with three belts on the line to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, headlined by a light heavyweight championship fight pitting Alex Pereira against Jamahal Hill.

The card is an especially important one for the light heavyweight division. The title picture at 205 pounds has been murky since Jon Jones left to fight as a heavyweight. Since Jones has left, there have been five different champions of the division and only one has successfully defended the belt.

Hill never got the opportunity. He won the belt from Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 but suffered an achilles tear that sidelined him and forced him to drop the belt. Pereira became champion in his absence, defeating Jiří Procházka at UFC 295.

Saturday's card gives a chance for a champion to emerge and could give us the next challenger. Procházka and Aleksandar Rakić will meet in the prelims.

The women's strawweight championship will be on the line in the co-main event. Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan battle in the Xiaonan's first crack at a championship.

Fan favorites Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway will throw down for the promotional BMF title ahead of the women's strawweight matchup.

Here's a look at the complete lineup for the historic event as well as a closer look at the three final fights of the night.

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Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET)

Prelims (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

Early Prelims (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

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The main event doesn't bring the star power that some were hoping to see at the top of the historic card. Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill don't have the same drawing power of Jon Jones, Conor McGregor or even Israel Adesanya.

This is a fight that might help them reach those heights, though.

It's a pairing of two top light heavyweight strikers with plenty of stopping power.

Both are still working on their resumes even as current or former champions. Jamahal Hill was on a tear when he won the title. The 32-year-old showed off his athleticism and power with knockouts of Jimmy Crute, Johnny Walker and Thiago Santos before besting Glover Teixeira by unanimous decision.

The achilles injury took a lot of the wind out of his sails but this represents an opportunity to get right back on track.

We've seen Pereira against better competition, though. The 33-year-old's impressive resume includes wins over Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya, Jan Blachowicz and Jiří Procházka.

This one should be a fun striking matchup and either fighter has the ability to end the fight with one strike.

Pereira's technical prowess should rule the day here, though. There's no doubt that the Brazilian will be the best striker that Hill has ever shared the cage with. The same can't be said for Pereira who has had Israel Adesanya's number more times than not.

Expect him to be the one that pulls the trigger on a fight-ending strike.

Prediction: Pereira via second-round TKO

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The co-main event is the first championship bout to pit two Chinese fighters against one another. It also happens to be a good matchup and a new challenge for a champion in Zhang Weili who is looking to establish an even firmer grasp on the belt.

Weili's only two losses under the UFC banner have come against Rose Namajunas. Outside of a split decision loss to Joanna Jedrzejczyk, there have been few moments where her other wins have been in question.

Weili is a force everywhere the fight can go.

Yan Xiaonan has certainly done enough to be the next challenger, though. She is 8-2 since joining the UFC in 2017. She suffered back-to-back losses to Carla Esparza and Marina Rodriguez that tripped her up for a bit but has since bounced back with wins over Mackenzie Dern and Jessica Andrade.

There's still reason to be dubious that she can overcome the champion, though. Her first-round knockout win over Andrade came when the Brazilian rushed in fairly recklessly and Yan landed a perfect right-hand counter that put her on the mat.

It's hard to see Weili making the same mistake. She does fight with pressure, but it's too calculated and strategic to result in a similar mistake.

Yan would need a spectacular finish or to consistently beat Weili in the striking exchanges to win this one. Neither seems likely even if she is a worthy challenger.

Prediction: Zhang via decision

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With all due respect to the two championship fights headlining this card, this just might be the most anticipated matchup of the night.

Both Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway have put on a playlist of bangers that rivals anything on Spotify. They are fan favorites for a reason. While the BMF championship idea might be a bit corny, Gaethje and Holloway are fitting combatants.

The most interesting part of the matchup is how well Holloway can counter Gaethje's size advantage. The Highlight is a natural lightweight who has spent most of his career in the division. Holloway is one of the greatest featherweights of all time but has rarely ventured into the 155-pound division.

The last time he did, he was beaten by Dustin Poirier. That fight was a back-and-forth affair but Holloway had a hard time overcoming the difference.

Gaethje seldom utilizes his wrestling background but it is something he has in his back pocket. Even it's just the ability to lean on Holloway and clinch against the fence it could play a role.

Ultimately, Gaethje's volume, aggression and cardio to bring the fight to Holloway will be too much for Blessed to overcome.

Prediction: Gaethje via fourth-round TKO

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