UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is unlike any card the sport of MMA has ever witnessed. There are 11 current or former champions lined up and ready to deliver the greatest showcase of all time. Chinese stars Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan square off for the women’s strawweight crown in the co-main event, fan favourites Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway will deliver a striking contest for the purists, and Charles Oliveira will grapple with the surging Arman Tsarukyan in another main card highlight.

UFC 300 main card betting preview

Alex Pereira v Jamahal Hill

Alex Pereira vs Jamahal Hill

Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and former champ Jamahal Hill are set to headline UFC 300. MMA fans have not seen Hill fight since January 2023 when injury forced him to relinquish his crown, but now fit and ready for redemption, he makes a much-anticipated return to the UFC octagon. Read our in depth betting preview and fight analysis for the main event here.

Zhang Weili v Yan Xiaonan

Zhang Weili vs Yan Xiaonan

Zhang Weili (24-3-0) is the dominant women’s strawweight champion with just two losses from her last 26 fights. The defeats came at the hands of Rose Namajunas, but the 34-year-old has otherwise monstered every other challenger in her division. She is a huge star in China and has led a surge in MMA interest in her home country. Zhang is physically powerful, a gifted striker, and an excellent grappler and wrestler with no weaknesses in her game and is short-priced to continue her winning ways here.

Yan Xiaonan (17-3-0) earned her contender status with a pair of impressive wins over Jessica Andrade and Mackenzie Dern. Her UFC record stands at eight wins and two losses, the defeats coming back-to-back in 2021 and 2022. The 34-year-old possesses knockout power as displayed in her round-one victory over Jessica Andrade and knows how to string together combinations that will impress the scoring panel. Her best chance of scoring the upset will be to keep the action standing and land hard punches before Zhang can wear her down.

Justin Gaethje v Max Holloway

Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway

Justin Gaethje (26-4-0) has fought all-comers at 155 pounds in recent years and has only been beaten by two of the very best in Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. The 35-year-old is loved by fans for his willingness to stand and trade and his no-nonsense demeanour. Gaethje has matured to add patience to his arsenal of killer strikes and defensive wrestling. His latest trip to the cage resulted in a highlight reel high kick KO of Dustin Poirier to claim the ceremonial BMF belt.

Max Holloway (25-7-0) moves up from the featherweight division for this matchup after a pair of tidy wins helped him recover from a trio of defeats to Alexander Volkanovski. The 32-year-old holds almost every record for significant strikes thrown and landed in the 145-pound class and will attempt to piece up another opponent here with relentless jabs that can prove almost impossible to counter. Holloway will be at a significant power disadvantage and will need to stay mobile and elusive to be competitive.

Charles Oliveira v Arman Tsarukyan

Charles Oliveira vs Arman Tsarukyan

Charles Oliveira (34-9-0) bounced back from the loss of his lightweight belt to Islam Makhachev with a slick round-one stoppage win over Beneil Dariush. The Brazilian is one the most decorated UFC athletes of all time with 21 submission wins and 31 career stoppage victories. The 34-year-old is priced at remarkable odds for this bout given his extensive record of 12 wins and one loss since 2018, and we will be inclined to back the former champ against a less experienced opponent here.

Arman Tsarukyan (21-3-0) has compiled a solid winning record, and a win here will vault him into contender status. The 27-year-old made his UFC debut in 2019, losing a close decision result to future champ Islam Makhachev, and has won eight out of his subsequent nine contests. The Armenian will need to close the distance against a taller and longer opponent and would be wise to avoid wrestling exchanges in favour of crisp striking and deft footwork.

Bo Nickal v Cody Brundage

Bo Nickal vs Cody Brundage

Bo Nickal (5-0-0) is a scary proposition for anyone in the middleweight division. The former elite college wrestler boasts a perfect MMA record with all five of his wins coming in the opening round. The 28-year-old’s potential remains untapped at this point, and it will interesting to see if a step up in competition provides any challenge to the surging prospect. Nickal gave fans a glimpse of his punching power in his most recent appearance, knocking out Valentine Woodburn within 40 seconds to keep his momentum rolling.

Cody Brundage (10-5-0) boasts a successful high school wrestling pedigree and might not be the pushover that betting markets are anticipating. The 29-year-old has won his last two bouts, although one victory came via DQ after Brundage was felled by an illegal elbow strike to the back of the head. He has five knockouts on his resume, mostly achieved through ground-and-pound, which may be harder to land against such an accomplished grappler.

UFC 300 prelims betting preview

Jiri Prochazka v Aleksandar Rakic

Jiri Prochazka vs Aleksandar Rakic

Jiri Prochazka (29-4-1) landed the UFC light heavyweight belt in 2022 with a chaotic submission win over Glover Teixeria but was forced to relinquish the crown when struck down by a long-term shoulder injury. He returned against Alex Pereira to compete for the vacant in November 2023 but suffered a second-round TKO defeat after some early wild exchanges. Prochazka is a former street fighter who brings a love of war and an unpredictable style to his fights but cannot be underestimated as he hunts for another shot at the belt he once owned.

Aleksandar Rakic (14-3-0) is another potential contender at 205 pounds and an impressive performance here will push toward the head of the queue. The Serbian is also returning from an injury, knee damage incurred in a close fight against Jan Blachowicz. The softly spoken 32-year-old has been patiently working toward his title aspirations, spacing out his fights and avoiding damage whenever possible. He is an elite volume striker with particularly effective body kicks who avoids grappling on the mat with defensive strength and body positioning.

Calvin Kattar v Aljamain Sterling

Calvin Kattar vs Aljamain Sterling

Calvin Kattar (23-7-0) has endured a rough two years, losing a controversial split decision to Josh Emmett in December 2022 before injuring his knee in a bout against Arnold Allen in October of the same year. Prior to that the 36-year-old had won five contests and lost two within four years, with both defeats coming via the scorecards where he has struggled throughout his career. He will enjoy a height and reach advantage in this matchup but might be a little rusty after the rehab layoff.

Aljamain Sterling (23-4-0) makes the move to featherweight after losing his bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley in August 2023. The 34-year-old defended the crown on three occasions and might be even more effective without a tough weight cut. He boasts a deadly ground game but can mix it up on the feet when required. The only query is whether he can restoke his hunger after being dethroned by a devastating punch that ended his reign in an instant.

Holly Holm v Kayla Harrison

Holly Holm vs Kayla Harrison

Holly Holm (15-6-0) is yet another former UFC champion fighting on this stacked card. The 42-year-old remains active although another title tilt appears beyond her at this late stage of her career. Holm’s most recent trip to the cage saw her choked out by Mayra Bueno Silva, but the result was amended to a no-contest when the Brazilian subsequently failed a drug test. Holm may not strike with the same venom these days, but her ringcraft and experience ensure she remains competitive.

Kayla Harrison (16-1-0) makes her UFC debut after a compelling career in the Professional Fighters League. The 33-year-old appears a well-rounded MMA athlete with solid striking power and a strong grappling game. Her sole defeat came via the scorecards in November 2022, but she bounced straight back with a win over former UFC contestant Aspen Ladd. Harrison looks like a ready-made threat in the women’s bantamweight division and is a short favourite to grab the spoils.

Sodiq Yusuff v Diego Lopes

Sodiq Yusuff vs Diego Lopes

Sodiq Yusuff (13-3-0) has fought eight times at UFC with six wins and two losses to show for his efforts. He can run out of gas across three hard rounds and does his best work early in proceedings. The Nigerian has a granite chin with just a single KO loss on his resume, suffered back in 2017. He can get a little loose and flashy with his strikes but is a naturally gifted athlete.

Diego Lopes (23-6-0) stepped up on short notice to make his UFC debut in May 2023 versus Movsar Evloev and almost caused an upset at huge odds. He continued this form with successive first-round stoppage victories to earn a pair of performance bonuses and a reputation as an emerging name to watch.

UFC 300 early prelims betting preview

Jalin Turner v Renato Moicano

Jalin Turner vs Renato Moicano

Jalin Turner (14-7-0) avoided the uncertainty of the judging panel when knocking out Bobby Green in December 2023 following a pair of heartbreaking split-decision losses. The 34-year-old has never won via the scorecards and might be inclined again to hunt for a finish rather than entrust his fate to those ringside. When fit and focused, Turner has the power to stop almost any opponent, which might be handy against a volume striker here.

In contrast, Renato Moicano (18-5-1) has an excellent record with the judges having accumulated eight of his professional wins via that route. The 34-year-old has never scored a knockout finish but can string long combinations together and secure a submission when the opportunity arises. He may be wise to take a ground-heavy approach to this contest.

Jessica Andrade vs Marina Rodriguez

Jessica Andrade vs Marina Rodriguez

Jessica Andrade (25-12-0) returned to her devastating best with a second-round KO over Mackenzie Dern in November 2023 following three straight losses that threatened her MMA career. The former women’s strawweight champ can lean too heavily on her punching power and neglect the other aspects of the game at times which makes her vulnerable to defeat.

Marina Rodriguez (17-3-2) was cruising during 2021 and 2022 with four straight wins. She was then knocked out by the hard-hitting Amanda Lemos and Rodriguez’s confidence was notably dented. She lost her next appearance to Virna Jandiroba by appearing reluctant and tentative to engage. A win over Michelle Waterson-Gomez might help with the confidence issues, but this promises to be a tough matchup for the 36-year-old.

Bobby Green vs Jim Miller

Bobby Green vs Jim Miller

Bobby Green (31-15-1) suffered a round-one knockout at the hands of Jalin Turner at his most recent appearance after scoring a pair of victories over Grant Dawson and Tony Ferguson. The 37-year-old has always been a hot-and-cold fighter who can deliver sublime boxing displays or tepid capitulations based on motivation and mindset. If Green can keep this a strictly striking battle, he has some chance of victory but looks unlikely to prevail if the action hits the canvas.

Jim Miller (37-17-0) continues to defy Father Time and mix it up with all comers. The 40-year-old has won five of his last six fights, all coming before the final bell. Miller is an exceptional grappler with 20 submission wins on his record, which has allowed him to compete at the highest level since making his UFC debut in 2008. He has endured some rough patches but has rediscovered his love of martial arts, leading to the current purple patch of form.

Deiveson Figueiredo v Cody Garbrandt

Deiveson Figueiredo vs Cody Garbrandt

Deiveson Figueiredo (22-3-1) made a successful switch from flyweight to bantamweight in December 2023 with a dominant win over Rob Font. The Brazilian struggled to make the 125-pound weight limit and the move up a division should extend his career and provide fresh challenges. The 36-year-old should have a BJJ edge in this contest but will need to remain elusive and avoid the power punches that will be coming in his direction. He might be happy to outwork his opponent and score a decision win rather than risk a war.

Cody Garbrandt (14-5-0) is a talented MMA practitioner who is prone to inexplicable acts of stupidity inside the octagon. The 34-year-old former bantamweight champion is inclined to point at the mat as a challenge to his opponent, then stand and swing until one man has been knocked out, normally Garbrandt. If this deficiency was not present, he may have been a long-lasting title holder, but Garbrandt is now in the process of rebuilding his career following a string of five unnecessary KO losses between 2017 and 2021.

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