Fight Coverage
The 10 | Brace Yourself For The Big One
Surveying The Exhilarating Matchups On Deck In April, Where UFC 300 Looms Large
Earthquakes have always fascinated me, and my interest has only grown since moving to a place where, on occasion, you can feel the earth shake a little.
One of the elements about the seismic activity of varying severity is that they occasionally come in three phases: a tremor, the main earthquake itself, and then the aftershock; a terrifying trio that prepares you for what’s coming, can shake you to your core, and then reminds you of what just happened.
The UFC’s April slate lines up like that potentially devastating trio, with a three-week home stand featuring solid cards on either side of the promotion’s tricentennial at T-Mobile Arena.
Here’s a closer look at some of the high-impact contests headed to the Octagon in the month ahead.
UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Curtis — Saturday, April 6 (Las Vegas, NV)
Norma Dumont vs Germaine de Randamie
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Curtis 2
The first fight in this month's collection is a compelling bantamweight clash between Norma Dumont and Germaine de Randamie.
Since losing her promotional debut, the 33-year-old Dumont has posted a 6-1 record inside the Octagon, putting up three consecutive victories on either side of a split decision loss to Macy Chiasson, including wins over former title challenger Felicia Spencer and Aspen Ladd. All but two of her UFC appearances have come at featherweight, and she missed the mark in her lone attempt to get down to the bantamweight limit, but if she has that side of things sorted out and can keep it moving forward this weekend, the Brazilian will instantly put herself in the championship mix in the 135-pound weight class.
UFC Monthly Report | March 2024
After more than three years away and the birth of her first child, de Randamie returns looking to get right back into the thick of the title chase. "The Iron Lady" was the first UFC featherweight champion, owns a unanimous decision win over current champ Raquel Pennington, and submitted former champion Julianna Pena in her last appearance, pushing her record to 7-2 inside the Octagon. And oh, by the way, each of those two losses came against Amanda Nunes.
The bantamweight division is wide open at the moment and a dominant effort from either woman on April 6th in Las Vegas would bolster their standing in the division and create opportunities for even bigger matchups in the back half of the year. Don't sleep on this one — there are significant divisional ramifications to consider here.
Brendan Allen vs Chris Curtis
A change in opponents sets up a compelling rematch in the middleweight division, as Brendan Allen puts his six-fight winning streak on the line against the last man to beat him, Chris Curtis.
Over the last two years, Allen has transformed from a prospect that seemingly couldn’t get over the hump to a contender in the 185-pound weight class, leaning on his slick grappling and dangerous submission game to register six consecutive victories. He finished five of the six by rear-naked choke, including each of the last four, elevating his record to 23-5 overall in the process.
Curtis steps in for Marvin Vettori, looking to replicate the performance he had replacing Roman Dolidze in December 2021, when he earned his second UFC win in under a month by stopping Allen in the second round. After a frustrating 2023, the 36-year-old veteran got things moving in the right direction again with a split decision win over Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 297 in January.
UFC 300 — Saturday, April 13 (Las Vegas, NV)
Jessica Andrade vs Marina Rodriguez
Before the strawweight title goes up for grabs in the UFC 300 co-main event, Brazilian contenders Jessica Andrade and Marina Rodriguez face off in a critical divisional battle early in the evening.
Andrade returned to the division where she once held gold midway through last year, suffering consecutive stoppage losses to Yan Xiaonan and Tatiana Suarez before getting things moving in the right direction against with a clubbing finish of Mackenzie Dern at UFC 295. The 37-fight veteran has been a top contender in two divisions for the last several years and is still only 32, so a second push towards the title is definitely possible, especially if she can get through Rodriguez here.
View The Full UFC 300 Fight Card
There was a stretch where Rodriguez looked poised to challenge for the strawweight title, having won four straight against quality competition, but the stars didn’t align her way and she suffered consecutive losses. She showed a more ferocious side in her bounce-back win over Michelle Waterson-Gomez last September, collecting a second-round stoppage win, and if she can bolt on a second straight win, Rodriguez might be back in the thick of the title conversation.
Part of what makes this one compelling is that things are unsettled at the top of the division and the winner could have a strong case for a title shot. Suarez feels like she’s next in line, but has struggled to stay healthy, while Amanda Lemos fought for the belt last August, so the victor could be the top-ranked contender in the 115-pound weight class heading into the second half of 2024.
Holly Holm vs Kayla Harrison
Kayla Harrison Talks Holly Holm, Amanda Nunes, Championship Aspirations | UFC 300
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Kayla Harrison Talks Holly Holm, Amanda Nunes, Championship Aspirations | UFC 300
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Former bantamweight champ Holly Holm welcomes two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison to the Octagon for the first time in one of several standout preliminary card fights at UFC 300.
Now more than eight years removed from her title-winning effort, Holm touches down in Las Vegas at an interesting point in her career, having gone 3-1 with on no contest verdict over her last five fights, including a win over current champ Raquel Pennington. But there are questions about her place in the division, which likely send the 42-year-old into this one looking to make a statement.
WATCH: Catching Up With Kayla Harrison | UFC 300
After amassing a 16-1 record over the last six years, the 33-year-old Harrison signed with the UFC and jumps right into the thick of things here. She’s primarily fought at lightweight, so it will be interesting to see how she handles the transition to bantamweight, but physically and athletically, Harrison has the tools to be an instant player in the 135-pound ranks if all goes well in this one.
In addition to having an “Old Guard vs New Arrival” angle, this is a classic “striker vs grappler” battle, as Holm remains at her best working in space, utilizing movement and range attacks, while Harrison is always looking to get inside, get the fight to the canvas, and go to work from there. Whomever is able to dictate the terms of engagement should find themselves victorious in this one.
Calvin Kattar vs Aljamain Sterling
Catching Up With Aljamain Sterling | UFC 300
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Catching Up With Aljamain Sterling | UFC 300
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Featherweight mainstay Calvin Kattar returns to action, welcoming former bantamweight ruler Aljamain Sterling to the UFC’s 145-pound weight class for the first time in this one.
Kattar hasn’t fought since suffering a knee injury in his October 2022 clash with Arnold Allen, and enters having lost two straight and three of his last four. Now, those losses are to Allen by injury, Josh Emmett by debated split decision, and Max Holloway, so they’re not exactly “bad losses,” but the Massachusetts native would certainly benefit greatly from putting a tick in the win column in this one.
Following an outstanding run at bantamweight that included a championship win, three consecutive successful title defenses, and a nine-fight winning streak, Sterling finally moves up to featherweight to try his hand in the 145-pound ranks. He was always big for bantamweight, so it will be interesting to see how his size and grappling abilities translate up a division.
This is a perfect introductory test for Sterling and a great opportunity for Kattar to instantly re-affirm his standing as a contender. This could come down to Sterling’s ability — or inability — to get the fight to the canvas, so pay close attention to those early takedown attempts in order to get a read on how things may shake out in this one.
Charles Oliveira vs Arman Tsarukyan
The top contender in the lightweight division will be determined here as former champ Charles Oliveira faces off with surging standout Arman Tsarukyan in the final non-title bout on the UFC 300 main card.
Oliveira registered his 20th finish inside the Octagon last time out, turning back Beneil Dariush at UFC 289 in Vancouver. He was set to rematch Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title in October at UFC 294, but a gnarly cut sustained in training forced him out of the contest, leaving “Do Bronxs” looking to maintain his place in line here.
Tsarukyan faced Dariush less than six months later in Austin, Texas, running through him in just over a minute to extend his winning streak to three. The 27-year-old has been a star on the rise since his debut loss to Makhachev, and a win over Oliveira would likely set up a rematch between the two later in the year.
Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway
All-action all-stars Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway meet for the symbolic BMF title in the middle bout of the insane UFC 300 pay-per-view main card.
Gaethje claimed the title with a second-round knockout win over Dustin Poirier last summer at UFC 291, felling “The Diamond” with a left high kick a minute into the frame. Since his loss to Poirier in their first encounter, the 35-year-old “Highlight” has gone 7-2, with five stoppage wins and his two setbacks coming in lightweight championship fights against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Oliveira.
RELATED: BMF Title Lineage
“Blessed” picked up a pair of victories in 2023 to cement his standing as one of the absolute best featherweights on the planet, out-working Arnold Allen in April before sending Chan Sung Jung into retirement in August. Holloway is an astonishing 18-4 over the last decade, with three of those losses coming against Alexander Volkanovski in their championship series.
The real point of interest here is how Holloway will deal with a move up to lightweight. He’s ventured into the 155-pound waters once before, landing on the wrong side of the scorecards in an interim title fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 236, but things could be different if he’s fully committed to relocating this time around.
Zhang Weili vs Yan Xiaonan
History will be made in the co-main event as Zhang Weili defends her strawweight title against compatriot Yan Xiaonan in the first all-Chinese championship fight in UFC history.
Zhang became a two-time champion with a second-round submission win over Carla Esparza towards the end of 2022, and then successfully defended her title against Amanda Lemos at UFC 292 in Boston last August. A dynamic athlete with impressive strength, Zhang has clearly rebounded from her twin losses to Rose Namajunas and could be poised to embark on a lengthy reign atop the division.
READ: The History Of Chinese Fighters in The UFC
It was a slow burn for Yan as a contender, as consecutive losses to Esparza and Rodriguez halted her six-fight winning streak inside the Octagon and forced her to regroup. After out-pointing Mackenzie Dern in October ’22, the 34-year-old challenger pushed her record to 17-3 (with one no contest) overall with a first-round knockout win over Andrade at UFC 288 last May.
This one feels like it comes down to the brawn of Zhang against the precision of Yan, with the championship experience of the former serving as a potential trump card should things get tight between the two. China will be represented at the top of the strawweight division no matter what, but will it be “And Still” or “And New” on April 13?
Alex Pereira vs Jamahal Hill
Unrivaled Greatness | UFC 300: Pereira vs Hill
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Unrivaled Greatness | UFC 300: Pereira vs Hill
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New champ Alex Pereira defends the light heavyweight title against returning former titleholder Jamahal Hill in a fascinating closer to this incredible card.
“Poatan” started last year as the middleweight champion, losing the belt back to his long-time rival Israel Adesanya in April. Three months later, he made his light heavyweight debut with a win over former champ Jan Blachowicz, and then claimed the vacant strap with a second-round stoppage win over Jiri Prochazka in November at Madison Square Garden.
Hill was the first to claim the vacant strap last year, beating Glover Teixeira in January after Prochazka was forced to abdicate the throne after suffering a major shoulder injury in late 2022. The victory made him the first Dana White’s Contender Series grad to claim UFC gold and extended his winning streak to four before he suffered a torn Achilles in July, forcing him to the sidelines and to give up the title.
Pereira is one of the most physically imposing figures on the UFC roster, and his presence at light heavyweight makes one wonder how he ever competed at middleweight in the past. But Hill more than proved his level during his four-fight run to the title, making this a fascinating pairing to get the division moving full steam ahead in 2024.
UFC Fight Night — Saturday, April 27 (Las Vegas, NV)
Ariane Lipski vs Karine Silva
The flyweight division has been front and center over the last several weeks and comes back into focus here as Brazilians Ariane Lipski and Karine Silva face off in a clash of ranked, ascending talents.
Still just 30 years old, Lipski has really put things together over her last three outings, posting decision wins over JJ Aldrich and Melissa Gatto before collecting a second-round submission win over Casey O’Neill to close out her 2023 campaign. The former KSW champ struggled for a couple years after arriving in the UFC, but genuinely seems to have turned a corner to become an intriguing late bloomer in the 125-pound weight class.
Silva landed her spot on the roster with a submission win on Season 5 of Dana White’s Contender Series, and has been a force through her first three appearances. She submitted Poliana Botelho in her promotional debut, tapped Ketlen Souza with a kneebar in her sophomore effort, and avenged her previous loss to Maryna Moroz with a third straight first-round finish inside the Octagon.
Both have been making steady progress up the divisional ranks and this profiles as a “which one moves forward from here” matchup. Can Lipski utilize her superior boxing and movement or will Silva drag this to the ground and collect another submission finish?
UFC 300: Pereira vs Hill took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 13, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
