Dana White has hit out at the critics of the UFC 300 card following a successful event.
The card produced some of the best match-ups in recent history. Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway was the highlight of the card. Gaethje defended his BMF belt in a fight he was being outclassed in. While Holloway was ahead in the fight, ‘Blessed’ risked it all in the final round. He told Gatheje to come into the centre as both men exchanged.
With just a second left to go in the fight, Holloway landed a big right hand to end the bout. The main event also served up a treat. Alex Pereira defended his UFC Light Heavyweight Title against Jamahal Hill, knocking him out in the first round and capping off a successful event. The fighters were also rewarded. Before the event, White announced that there would be a $300,000 bonus for the fighters. And yet, before the card went ahead, there was mixed reaction to the event.
Full Card
Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill
Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan
Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Charles Oliveira
Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage
Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
Aljamain Sterling vs. Calvin Kattar
Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
Diego Lopes vs. Sodiq Yusuff
Renato Moicano vs. Jalin Turner
Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez
Bobby Green vs. Jim Miller
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt
Initial Reaction
“Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway: It makes no sense – my opinion. My opinion, Holloway is supposed to fight with [Ilia] Topuria next, maybe September. Justin Gaethje is supposed to fight with Islam [Makhachev] in May or June. [Arman] Tsarukyan vs [Charles] Oliveira, they fight in April. Whoever wins that [should be fighting] the winner of Islam vs. Justin Gaethje.
“Now, Topuria will fight with who? Movsar [Evloev] is the best option. I don’t know if Dana White will give him [a title shot]. My opinion, he deserves this. I don’t understand. It makes no sense why they don’t give Islam Justin Gaethje, why they make him fight vs Holloway. I don’t understand what UFC have planned, but Islam ready to fight with anyone,” Khabib Nurmagomedov said
“It seems like every announcement is met with like, ‘And what else? What else are you gonna do about UFC 300? What else are you gonna do? You’re all driving yourselves insane. This is going to be a very good card. That’s it. It’s gonna be a very good card. And it’s gonna have, probably, a big name in every single fight. And there’s gonna be no sort of filler prelim.
“But you’re all driving yourselves insane. To your point, Dana White is setting everyone up for failure here, for disappointment, because he’s saying, ‘I’ve got a big announcement’, and then it’s that. You can’t do that. You’ve gotta read the room. You’ve gotta know the audience. If they just would announce these fights here and there, and in one shot, I don’t think people would feel the same way,” Helwani stated
White Responds
Now, White has bashed those who attacked the card. White revealed that it was the biggest UFC attendance in T Mobile history. It was also the third-highest gate ever and had the most watched prelims on ESPN. The event also saw 3.2 million more followers for the UFC on social media, while Holloway’s KO became the most liked UFC Instagram video ever.
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