MMA News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Looking Back on Exciting, Momentous UFC 300

Originally posted on MMA Sucka | By Drew Zuhosky | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 9:45 PM ET

UFC 300 came at an interesting time for MMA’s No. 1 promotion. Just a few short months earlier, Dana White‘s promotion had just celebrated its 30th anniversary of operation, but times were often difficult for the organization in the early days of operation.

If you might recall, back in the 1990s, moral guardians tried their hardest to ensure that television carriage of the earliest UFC events was limited. The late Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona likened the UFC to “human cockfighting” and worked to have the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ban the promotion’s events from cable television providers.

Eventually, McCain’s attitude toward MMA events and the UFC changed for the better, going so far as to purchase a pay-per-view late in his life. Although the senator passed on in 2018, had he lived long enough, he’d have enjoyed UFC 300 in April of 2024, an event that featured, among other happenings, the promotional debut of a future UFC champion on the undercard.

UFC 300 Prelims Featured Anticipated Debut of Kayla Harrison

Flashback: Nov. 24, 2023: During the PFL Championships event in Washington, DC, former PFL Women’s Lightweight Champion Kayla Harrison competed in a showcase bout versus Aspen Ladd on the main card, a catchweight of 150 lbs.

Harrison bested Ladd by unanimous decision after 15 minutes of action and had her sights set on fighting Cris Cyborg in the aftermath of the catchweight affair. Despite the appeal of a potential contest between the two, nothing ever came of it, with Harrison bolting for the UFC ahead of UFC 300 in the spring of 2024.

Her promotional debut was on the late prelims of UFC 300 in a fight against Holly Holm, seen live on ESPN in the United States. Although the promotional banner was different for Kayla Harrison, the result was the same: a submission (rear-naked choke) during the second round of a scheduled three.

After her victorious debut, Harrison used her post-fight interview at UFC 300 to compliment her adversary.

“Everyone, please, that is a legend of our sport,” she said to applause from the audience. “It’s an honor for me to share the Octagon with her tonight. Holly, thank you. God bless you. God bless your family.”

It was only the beginning for what has so far proven to be a fruitful tenure for Harrison in the UFC. Following UFC 300, she scored two more wins, including a women’s bantamweight title victory in UFC 316.

“BMF” Title Produces Dramatic Win With One Second Left on the Clock

UFC 300’s main card also featured three championship fights at the top of the bill. First up on that spring Saturday night was a lightweight affair for the symbolic “BMF” Championship matching Justin Gaethje with Max Holloway.

The drama was real in the first title fight of the evening at UFC 300, a fight that went all the way to the wire. In the final seconds of the fifth and final round, the latter uncorked a vicious overhand right to knock out the former.

This knockout tied the all-time record for latest knockout in UFC history (4:59 on the fifth-round clock.) Back in 2018, Yair Rodriguez set the record in Denver against Chan Sung Jung.

A Successful Defense of the Strawweight Crown at UFC 300

In the UFC 300 co-main event of the evening, the UFC Strawweight Championship was up for the taking. Zhang Weili came into the card looking for a second defense of her title as she squared off against challenger and then-No. 5 contender Yan Xiaonan.

Zhang was close to stopping Yan in the fight’s early rounds before the latter stormed back in an effort to try and wrest the championship away from her. Although Yan Xiaonan gave a gallant comeback effort, it was for naught.

Upon the fight going to the scorecards after five rounds of action, Zhang defended the championship by way of unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45.)

“Poatan” Makes Short Work of Hill in UFC 300 Main Event

The final act of this momentous night of competitive violence saw the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at stake in the UFC 300 main event of the evening. Alex Pereira made the walk to the famous Octagon to meet up with Jamahal Hill.

This was one of the wilder endings in recent memory for the UFC. About three minutes into the opening round of the contest, Hill landed an illegal blow, causing referee Herb Dean to call time. Pereira, however, quickly brushed it off.

As soon as the fight resumed, Pereira unloaded a vicious punch to knock Hill down before finishing his opponent and the night off with ground and pound shots to defend the title.