On April 14, the grand UFC 300 tournament took place, becoming a part of the rich history of MMA. The event was spectacular - with exciting fights, violent finishes, waves of emotions, and enthusiastic crowds. But two fighters in particular gave us truly incredible moments that had previously seemed possible only in movies.
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Why UFC 300 is the best tournament in history
The entire UFC 300 anniversary tournament was a blast to watch. The organizers effectively filled the pauses so that fans did not suffer in anticipation of the next fight. Another significant fact was that the athletes fought so spectacularly, that as soon as we were done with a juicy raw steak, embodied by the legendary Jim Miller, we were immediately served another thrilling action - the intriguing showdown between lightweights Renato "Moicano" Carneiro and Jalin Turner. Then, Diego Lopez once again shocked the audience, and Kayla Harrison utterly destroyed Holly Holm, reviving intrigue in the division.
Now, try to remember at least one UFC tournament without obvious lulls and boring fights with dull decisions. Even in events with a slew of knockouts, there are always a few clichéd fights that make viewers doze off. This is what distinguishes a good tournament from a great one: we were constantly injected with adrenaline, a dose of energy that kept us on the edge of our seats all night long.
Yet, even at such an event, two fighters managed to stand out and make UFC 300 truly unforgettable.
Octagon center spotlight and last-second knockout
According to various polls, the BMF title fight was in the top 3 most anticipated events at UFC 300. Many fans believed that the battle between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway was the highlight of the tournament. All our expectations were met 100%.
Max looked exceptional in the fight: he flawlessly dismantled his dangerous opponent, acted calmly, and didn't leave any openings. "Blessed" confidently outperformed Gaethje and decisively moved towards victory by unanimous decision.
But this was not just an ordinary fight - it was a battle for the title of the organization's toughest guy. Max never bad-mouthed anyone outside the octagon, but in the fight, he often appeared as a role model killer and a real gangster. In the final ten seconds, he called Gaethje to the center of the octagon to deliver the best 10 seconds in the historic tournament.
There have been many moments in UFC history where fans screamed with excitement and even fainted. Max's knockout was one of them. "Blessed" realized that winning by decision was inevitable, but he gave the most feared puncher in the division a chance in the final minute of the fight.
This is the moment. This is what the BMF is known for. If that's not a BMF moment, I don't know what is. If Justin was up, he would've given me those 10 seconds.
Pereira flattened Hill and made history with his celebration
Taking a step back from Max's knockout, we witnessed an exciting title fight between two Chinese champions, Weili Zhang and Yan Xiaonan, followed by the dessert - the light heavyweight title battle. Alex Pereira faced Jamahal Hill, and many doubted that the collision between two knockout artists would last long. The Brazilian needed only three minutes to turn his performance into a proper show.
In the fourth minute, Hill kicked Pereira in the groin, and referee Herb Dean wanted to stop the fight. But the Brazilian made a gesture showing that robots do not need breaks. Immediately after that, "Poatan" went after his opponent and knocked him out cold. While Hill tried to return to our planet from the faraway galaxies, Pereira celebrated victory in the style of famous blogger Khaby Lame. Legendary!
Pereira gave us two moments that will surely become memes. We think that this gesture by Alex was a kind of reference to his long-time "friend" - Israel Adesanya. Two weeks ago, Izzy posted a video on his YouTube channel where he met Lame in Dubai.
Even after four fights (two kickboxing and two MMA), it seems to us that Pereira has not forgotten about Adesanya. Recall that in 2023, "The Last Stylebender" celebrated his long-awaited first victory over the Brazilian with "three arrows of retribution". Considering the status and significance of UFC 300, it can be said that Pereira has matched Izzy in terms of iconic moments.
And that’s without mentioning Pereira’s badass entrance into the fight, which has already become a recognizable schtick of the Brazilian.
Holloway and Pereira gave us a lot of emotions and a full range of feelings. UFC 300 is behind us, but there will be plenty to discuss for a long time. New tournaments and sensations from the best promotion in the world are just around the corner.
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