Predicting Fights for the UFC 300 Super Card

UFC 300 goes down on April 13 in Las Vegas, and if history tells us anything, it's going to be one of the biggest cards the promotion has ever put on.

In 2009, UFC 100 blew every card that came before it out of the water, with a Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir main event, and appearances from legends such as Georges St-Pierre, Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson on the bill.

Seven years later, UFC 200 suffered from last minute shake-ups, but it still stands out as one of the biggest cards the promotion has ever put on, with Lesnar reappearing to take on Mark Hunt, and the likes of Amanda Nunes, Miesha Tate, Anderson Silva, Daniel Cormier, Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar and Cain Velasquez also competing.

UFC 300 should be as good or better than either of those shows, but it's becoming increasingly clear that the promotion's matchmakers will need to get a bit creative as they put the card together, as there just aren't many big stars available.

Conor McGregor is reportedly fighting Michael Chandler in June, and Jon Jones is recovering from an injury. Sean O'Malley and Alexander Volkanovski will both be in action right before the card, while Islam Makhachev will probably be saved for the promotion's events in the Middle East.

So who will headline this landmark event? And which fighters will round out the rest of the card? Who knows what Dana White and his team are planning, but here's how we see this card shaking out.

Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya III

The majority of the UFC's biggest stars are currently booked, injured or being saved for obligations after UFC 300. Thankfully, Alex Pereira appears to be available.

The 36-year-old is the promotion's new light heavyweight champion, having captured the vacant belt with a knockout of Jiri Prochazka last November. In the span of a few years, he's also become one of UFC's biggest stars.

That's due in large part to his background. Prior to joining the UFC, Pereira was a two-division kickboxing champion, and he twice defeated Israel Adesanya under that rule set.

Upon signing with the UFC, the Brazilian was given the fast track, and after wins over Andreas Michailidis, Bruno Silva and Sean Strickland, he beat Adesanya by knockout to claim the promotion's middleweight title.

Adesanya was one of the UFC's most dominant champions at the time, so, despite three combat sports losses against Pereira, he was given an immediate shot at redemption. In one of the most dramatic wins of 2023, he finally defeated the South American in their UFC rematch, bringing their MMA rivalry to 1-1.

Two important things have happened since then. First, Adesanya relinquished the title to Strickland in arguably the biggest upset of the year. Then, Pereira won the light heavyweight title.

While Adesanya recently claimed he plans to take a long hiatus from competition, he could be lured back to the Octagon for the opportunity to become a two-division champion and settle his lengthy rivalry with Pereira once and for all. He's also probably the biggest star in MMA other than Conor McGregor or Jon Jones, so he would certainly help drive interest in this landmark card.

And what better way to top the UFC's 300th numbered card than with a trilogy fight?

Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko III

If we're proposing a trilogy for the UFC 300 main event, we may as well suggest another for the co-main event.

Flyweights Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko met twice in 2023. In March, Grasso knocked Shevchenko from her perch atop women's pound-for-pound lists everywhere with a fourth-round submission. The win, which made Grasso a UFC champion, tracked as one of the biggest upsets in women's MMA history and set up an immediate rematch.

That came in September, and fans the world over were eager to see if Grasso's win over the the fearsome "Bullet" was a fluke, or if the new champion truly had the former's number. Unfortunately, the bout ended with a draw, which meant Grasso retained the title and we didn't get the decisive outcome we wanted.

There hasn't been much talk of a tiebreaker since then, but it needs to happen. And as one of the most dominant champions in UFC history, Shevchenko deserves a final opportunity to avenge her March loss to Grasso.

Given that both women are healthy and unbooked, UFC 300 seems the perfect setting. In fact, Shevchenko has already called for the fight under those exact circumstances.

Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad II

How about three title fights for UFC 300?

UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards is fresh off a successful title defense against former interim champ Colby Covington, but he took almost no damage in the fight and recently stated that he expects to defend his title against at UFC 300.

The big question is who he'll defend his title against.

There are two obvious options: No. 2 contender Belal Muhammad and No. 3 contender Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Both guys deserve title shots.

Muhammad is 9-0 with one no-contest in his last 10 fights, with decision wins over the likes of Gilbert Burns and Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson. The no-contest came in a clash with Edwards, when he absorbed an accidental eye poke and could not continue.

Rakhmonov is 18-0 as a pro, with his six most recent wins occurring in the Octagon, including a submission win over Thompson in his last fight.

It would not be a travesty for Rakhmonov to get the next crack at Edwards, but Muhammad has been waiting for that opportunity for much longer, and his history with the champion makes him the clear choice for UFC 300.

Dustin Poirier vs. Nate Diaz

This potential UFC 300 matchup is a bit of a long shot, as both Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz are no-selling the possibility, but it's easily one of the biggest non-title fights the UFC can make right now—and probably the biggest not involving Conor McGregor.

Poirier is one of the greatest lightweights of this generation, but after a head-kick knockout loss to Justin Gaethje in his last contest, he has found himself on uncertain terrain.

Diaz is no longer under contract with the UFC, having skipped town after a submission win over Tony Ferguson in 2022, but he has expressed interest in returning. And if Dana White's previous comments on the subject are still valid, he'd be welcomed back—even if it will cost the promotion an arm and a leg.

That's good news, because he and Poirier have had a score to settle since their planned 2018 grudge match fell through at the eleventh hour, and the UFC 300 lineup is in desperate need of mainstream stars.

Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic

White has already made this one official for UFC 300, so we don't need to spend a lot of time on it.

Prochazka is the former light heavyweight champion, but he suffered a knockout loss to Pereira in his attempt at reclaiming the vacant belt this past November. Despite that defeat, he remains one of the promotion's most dangerous and popular light heavyweights.

Rakic hasn't caught on with fans in quite the same way, but he is also a bona fide title threat and shares Prochazka's habit for highlight-reel knockouts. Remember his head kick KO of Jimi Manuwa? That was easily one of the nastiest in MMA history.

This one will be a thriller for as long as it lasts, and it should be a great way to kick off this historic main card.

Aljamain Sterling vs. Calvin Kattar

Dana White has also made this fight official for UFC 300, and it's a great addition to the card. Former bantamweight champ Sterling will be making his debut at featherweight after vacating his bantamweight throne with a knockout loss to Sean O'Malley last year. Kattar will be looking to spoil the former bantamweight king's featherweight debut and rebound from a pair of controversial losses to Arnold Allen and Josh Emmett in the process.

Cody Garbrandt vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt got back to winning ways late last year when he picked up a vintage first-round knockout against Brian Kelleher. In his post-fight interview, he called for a contest with former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo, who debuted at bantamweight last year with an impressive decision defeat of Rob Font. Garbrandt and Figueiredo are two of the most dynamic and dangerous finishers in the lower weight classes, so this would be a great appetizer for the stacked UFC 300 main card.

Miesha Tate vs. Holly Holm II

Miesha Tate and Holly Holm first met in 2016, when the former submitted the latter in the fifth round to become the UFC women's bantamweight champion. Both have been through a lot since then. Tate even briefly lived in Singapore to work for ONE Championship as an executive. Today, when both legendary bantamweights are again actively competing in the same division, the timing for a rematch seems perfect. Holm's team recently claimed Tate turned the opportunity down, but that's just hearsay at this point and there's still lots of time to make this fight happen.

Derrick Lewis vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik

It just wouldn't be right if UFC 300 didn't feature a couple of heavyweights. Who better to call upon than Derrick Lewis? Despite some tough losses in recent years, he remains one of the division's most popular fighters and still holds the record for most knockout wins in UFC history. Put him on the undercard opposite Suriname's Jairzinho Rozenstruik, another long-time contender with some tough losses behind him, and trust the two will bang it out until somebody is napping under the Jumbotron.

Jim Miller vs. Bobby Green

Lightweight veteran Jim Miller fought at UFC 100 and 200, and White long ago confirmed that the fan favourite will also compete at UFC 300—assuming he comes out of his January fight with Gabriel Benitez without injuries. His opponent for the card will depend a lot on the outcome of the Benitez fight, but the most important thing is that he's on the bill. Our pick for his opponent would be another popular veteran in Bobby Green, who will be eager to cling to his spot in the Top 15 after a quick knockout loss to Jalin Turner.

Ariane Lipski vs. Tracy Cortez

Women's MMA is a huge part of the UFC product now, and while we've already suggested a Grasso vs. Shevchenko trilogy fight for the co-main event, it'd be nice to see more women on the card. How about a clash between flyweight contenders Ariane Lipski and Tracy Cortez? Polish-Brazilian Lipski recently picked up a third straight win with a submission over Casey O'Neill, while the American Cortez is unbeaten with decision wins in her first five UFC fights.

Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes

If Israel Adesanya ends up headlining UFC 300, then let's get his friend and training partner Carlos Ulberg on the undercard. Ulberg is not yet ranked in the light heavyweight division, but after five straight wins, he was set to meet No. 14 contender Dominick Reyes at UFC 297 later this month. Unfortunately, that plan fell through when Ulberg suffered an injury in training. He's been linked to a rescheduled fight with Reyes when the UFC returns to Atlantic City in March, but this one seems like a better fit for UFC 300 in April.

Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage

White has also confirmed that undefeated middleweight prospect Bo Nickal will return to action at UFC 300, which makes sense. The promotion is trying to build the former wrestling standout up, and this will probably be the most watched card of the year. His opponent on the night will be Cody Brundage, who is riding a quick knockout win over Zach Reese but is just 10-5 overall. It's not a perfect fight, but it is a solid addition to this card.