Ranking the Best Fights From the Historic UFC 300 Card

It's almost time for UFC 300.

The landmark event goes down on April 13 in Las Vegas, and it can fairly be called one of the most anticipated cards the promotion has put together. It's easy to understand why.

The card will feature two undisputed title fights, a "BMF" title fight and appearances from 13 current or former UFC champions, as well as the debut of former PFL champion Kayla Harrison.

Nearly every fight on the bill has the potential to radically change the weight class it's contested in, and every single one of them looks both exciting and competitive on paper.

But which of the 13 fights scheduled for this monumental card are the best? Which ones should fans be most excited for? The answers to those questions will vary greatly depending on your preferences, but here are the five fights we're most anticipating.

5. Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm

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Kayla Harrison interacts with fans during a Q&A session ahead of UFC 300

Kayla Harrison has long stood out as one of the best female fighters outside the UFC—maybe even the best outright, although Larissa Pacheco and Cris Cyborg would probably disagree.

One way or the other, her skill is unquestionable.

A former Olympic judoka, she is a strong 16-1 in MMA. Her record includes two championships in the Professional Fighters League, where has spent the entirety of her MMA career to date.

While Harrison suffered a shock decision loss to Pacheco in late 2022, she rebounded from that defeat with a lopsided win over UFC veteran Aspen Ladd last November.

The win over Ladd would be her last fight in the PFL SmartCage, as she signed with the UFC soon after.

The 33-year-old has spent most of her career competing at 155 pounds, but she will make her UFC debut at 135. Her cut down to bantamweight will be gruelling, and her debut opponent is likely to provide an even tougher challenge: She will be welcomed to the Octagon by former bantamweight champion Holly Holm, who famously defeated another Olympic judoka in Ronda Rousey in 2015.

Holm's striking and takedown defense make her a live underdog in this matchup, but as long as Harrison isn't compromised by her massive weight cut, she has all the tools to win. If she does, she will most likely be looking at a crack at the bantamweight belt next time out.

4. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt

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Cody Garbrandt enters the Octagon to fight Brian Kelleher at UFC 296.

If you're still not convinced UFC 300 is one of the most stacked cards the promotion has put on, look no further than the first bout of the night, which will see former bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt take on former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo in a 135-pound fight that will propel the winner right back into title contention.

The two men have some history. In 2020, after a tough 1-3 run at bantamweight, Garbrandt laid out plans to drop to flyweight in search of greener pastures. At that point, he was briefly matched up with Figueiredo, who was the champion of the division at the time.

Regrettably, the matchup never occurred, as Garbrandt suffered a torn bicep in training.

Years later, after losing the flyweight belt, Figueiredo moved up to bantamweight. He won his debut in the division, defeating Rob Font by decision, and soon after found himself in the crosshairs of Garbrandt, who is also competing at bantamweight again after a disastrous flyweight experiment.

Garbrandt got his wish and will meet the Brazilian at UFC 300.

It's always a treat when two current or former champions meet in the Octagon, and this fight is no exception. What makes the fight truly special, though, is that the pair are among the hardest punchers in the lower weight classes, with 20 knockout wins combined.

There is almost no way this one goes the distance. In other words, it should get UFC 300 started with a bang.

3. Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway

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Max Holloway reacts after his knockout victory over Chan Sung Jung

There are only two undisputed title fights on the UFC 300 bill, but the card will also feature a contest for the symbolic "BMF" title.

It will be the third time the title has been up for grabs, and this time, defending BMF champion Justin Gaethje will take on former featherweight champ Max Holloway.

Gaethje and Holloway are two of the most consistently exciting fighters on the UFC roster, which is why they've been booked to fight for the BMF title, which is intended to celebrate fighters who bring it every time they're in the cage...or something like that, nobody actually knows for sure.

They're also two of the best fighters of this generation.

Gaethje, a former interim lightweight champion, has beaten many of the division's top names, and he only stumbled against the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier—the latter of whom he knocked out in his last fight to even their score.

Holloway is one of the greatest featherweights of all time, though there is ample debate as to where he actually ranks among the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Jose Aldo.

All signs point to a fight between these two being both technical and thrilling. There are only two reasons that we didn't put this bout higher on the list.

First and foremost, the BMF title is totally cheesy, and it cheapens this incredible matchup. Secondly, there is a reasonable chance Holloway, who has taken a ton of punishment throughout his career, suffers a hellacious beating against the larger Gaethje, who is one of the most destructive fighters of this generation.

We're not saying Holloway won't win, but there's a chance he gets the same treatment Gaethje gave Tony Ferguson a few years back, and nobody wants to see that.

2. Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill

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Jamahal Hill celebrates his victory over Glover Teixeira in 2023.

After months of speculation, and theories involving everyone from Conor McGregor to Israel Adesanya, matchmakers finally revealed the headliner for UFC 300: A light heavyweight title fight between champion Alex Pereira and challenger Jamahal Hill.

Pereira, a former kickboxing champion who also held the UFC middleweight title, earned the vacant light heavyweight belt late last year with a vicious knockout of Jiri Prochazka.

The 36-year-old is considered one of the most dangerous strikers in MMA today, and he possesses the power to stop any fighter in their tracks, from middleweight right up to heavyweight.

He'll face a tough challenge in Hill, though.

The 32-year-old is a former champion, having defeated Pereira's coach and mentor Glover Teixeira to win the division's vacant title in January 2023. That might have been the beginning of an impressive title reign for the American, but he was forced to vacate the belt with a ruptured Achilles soon after he won it, clearing the way for Pereira and Prochazka to fight for the vacant title later in the year.

There's a lot to love about this fight, including the revenge narrative for Pereira, who will be looking to avenge Teixeira's loss to Hill.

The real appeal, though, is that there is almost no chance this one goes the distance. It's far more likely that somebody hits the deck, as Pereira and Hill have won 14 fights by knockout—seven apiece—in just 24 combined fights.

1. Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan

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Charles Oliveira celebrates his TKO victory over Beneil Dariush

Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan is a crazy matchup. The two lightweight contenders, ranked No. 1 and 4 in the division respectively, will meet on the UFC 300 main card.

It will be one of the most important—and the most unpredictable—fights on the bill.

Oliveira, from Brazil, is a former champion at 155 pounds, and one of the greatest fighters in the division's history. His list of victims is staggering. In recent years, he's finished the likes of Beneil Dariush, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler, and has only been beaten by reigning champ Islam Makhachev.

His recent dominance has helped him tighten his grip on a three impressive UFC records: those for most finishes, most submissions and most post-fight bonuses. He also has more UFC fights than all but just seven other fighters in history, at 32.

Suffice it to say, he's a living legend.

Then there's Tsarukyan from Armenia. He bears an exciting similarity to Oliveira. While he still has a lot of work to do if he wants to match the Brazilian's stats, he has shown a similar predilection for finishes, both on the mat and on the feet.

In 24 fights, the 27-year-old has nine wins by knockout or TKO and five by submission. His finishing prowess was on full display in his last fight, when he defeated Dariush—also Oliveira's last opponent—in just 64 seconds. That's more than three minutes faster than Oliveira dispatched of the Iranian-American.

In simplest terms, this is a fight between a veteran and a prospect. However, unlike many other veterans, Oliveira is still very much in his prime; and unlike most prospects, Tsarukyan seems to have entered his.

These world-class lightweights could finish each other in any number of ways, and the winner will have legitimate claim to a title shot against Makhachev.

There's no better fight on the UFC 300 lineup, and considering every contest on the bill is great, that's saying something.