Pereira blitzes Hill to retain light heavyweight title

Alex Pereira made an emphatic defence of his light heavyweight championship with a first-round knockout of Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC 300 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the morning of Sunday 14 April 2024.

Pereira, who won the vacant title in November last year when Hill was forced to relinquish the belt due to injury, left no doubt as to who the king of the division is by putting down the former belt holder just over three minutes into the first round.

‘Poatan’ shrugged off a near low blow from Hill – even shooing away Herb Dean when the referee looked to intervene – before landing a devastating left hook that sent his opponent to the floor. The Brazilian then forced the stoppage with a flurry of hammer blows on the ground.

“I stuck to my strategy and that is what you saw in the fight,” said a calm and composed Pereira in his post-fight interview, before claiming that a move to heavyweight – perhaps event in time for UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro in his home country next month – was the next career move he would like to make.

In the co-main event, women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili put up an incredible display to dominate Chinese compatriot Yan Xiaonan, taking the fight 49-45 49-45 49-45 for a unanimous decision triumph – though Xiaonan emerged with incredible credit for a tough-as-nails performance which included refusing to tap to a choke hold at the end of the first round to the point that she briefly lost consciousness, but recovered in the break before the second round.

“Xiaonan an amazing fighter, she’s so tough and I have so much respect for her. I hope we can be friends after the fight,” said Weili, who made a second successful defence of her title.

In addition, Max Holloway landed an amazing last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje to win the ‘BMF’ title. With ‘Blessed’ having already laid on a huge amount of damage, he invited Gaethje to trade bombs with him with just seconds remaining, and landed a brutal overhand right that face-planted his opponent and ended the fight at 4:59 in the fifth round for one of the greatest knockouts in UFC history.

“Give it up to Gaethje, a real ‘BMF’,” Holloway said, paying homage to his opponent. “Raise the roof for him. I’m him! I’m him, guys.”

Earlier in the main card, Arman Tsarukyan claimed a split decision win over Charles Oliveira in a lightweight clash, while the middleweight opener saw Cody Brundage submit Bo Nickal with a rear-naked choke.

The next UFC event is a Fight Night on the morning of Sunday 28 April at the APEX Facility in Las Vegas, headlined by a flyweight fight between Matheus Nicolau and Alex Perez.

UFC 300 – Main card results

- Main event: Light heavyweight championship: Alex Pereira def. Jamahal Hill via TKO (punches), R1, 3:14

- Co-main: Women’s strawweight championship: Zhang Weili def. Yan Xiaonan via unanimous decision (49-45 49-45 49-45), R5, 5:00

- Lightweight: ‘BMF title’: Max Holloway def. Justin Gaethje via knockout (punch), R5, 4:59

- Lightweight: Arman Tsarukyan def. Charles Oliveira via split decision (28-29 29-28 29-28), R3, 5:00

- Middleweight: Cody Brundage def. Bo Nickal via submission (rear-naked choke), R2, 3:38