Roundtable: Who will main event UFC 300?

UFC 300 is simply three months away, and the matchmakers are nonetheless trying to find a fundamental occasion worthy of the landmark quantity.

That’s to not say that UFC execs Dana White, Mick Maynard, and Sean Shelby have been sitting on their laurels. The headliners for the primary three pay-per-views of 2024 are already coated, giving plans loads to sit up for. However in the case of their third century occasion, the image on the prime of the cardboard remains to be unclear.

Among the promotion’s most dependable attracts seem like off the desk, with Conor McGregor saying that he’s preventing Michael Chandler in June, and Jon Jones having no timetable for his return from a pectoral damage. So who’s even out there to step into the highlight at UFC 300?

MMA Preventing’s Alexander Ok. Lee, Steven Marrocco, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew pull their chairs as much as the roundtable to take their finest guess as to what two names we’ll see on the marquee forward of April 13.

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Marrocco: Fellas, I do know these two have been out of the sport for fairly a while now. I simply suppose the timing on this is sensible for each of them, and with a superb school attempt, Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano could possibly be prepared for the combat we by no means acquired to see however at all times kinda needed to.

After years of ups and quite a lot of downs with WWE, Rousey is not with the massive canine in professional wrestling. I strongly doubt her cope with Ring of Honor would preclude a UFC return, and Carano is simply the type of opponent that may lure her again to the octagon. Issues ended just about the worst method doable on the finish of her UFC run. Preventing Carano? There’s somebody who hasn’t fought in over a decade, has concussed precisely one individual in her three-year MMA profession (Rosi Sexton, in 2006), and nonetheless provides a modicum of star attraction to be a superb B-side for the pay-per-view. The UFC tried to make it occur as soon as. Why not once more?

For Carano, Rousey provides an opportunity much less to say a spot atop ladies’s MMA however to resuscitate her flagging leisure profession and stick it to all these libs who cancelled her on The Mandalorian. Positive, she’s been inactive as an athlete far longer than Rousey, however get her again into Xtreme Couture with Eric Nicksick, give her the royal remedy on the UFC PI, she may feasibly be prepared for a combat. She’s going through an enormous uphill battle. However so is Rousey, proper? And Rousey fairly clearly isn’t nuts about getting punched within the face, in order that could possibly be her likelihood, proper?

The UFC would like to put this on, if for no different cause than its tricentennial wants all of the star energy it may possibly get to goose the numbers. I do know it’s insane, nevertheless it additionally type of is sensible. Proper?

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Martin: With Conor McGregor not returning till June, UFC 300 wants a headliner, and choices are actually restricted proper now. Islam Makhachev honors Ramadan from March into April, which seemingly eliminates him from the dialog. Leon Edwards seems more likely to defend his belt in opposition to Belal Muhammad for the April card, nevertheless it’s powerful to think about that as a fundamental occasion. So what’s out there that may promote pay-per-views?

How a few lengthy awaited trilogy between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya … this time with the UFC mild heavyweight title on the road?

Deserved or not, the third combat would do massive enterprise, and it nearly feels inevitable contemplating the wealthy historical past these two already share. Pereira beat Adesanya twice in kickboxing — together with a vicious highlight-reel knockout of their rematch — after which pulled off an inconceivable comeback to turn into UFC middleweight champion. In fact, Adesanya exacted his revenge with the 2023 “Knockout of the Year,” and he capped off the night time with some of the memorable post-fight celebrations in latest historical past.

Regardless of shedding to Sean Strickland in a large upset, Adesanya was promised a right away title shot upon his return. However who’s to say that has to occur at 185 kilos? Some fights are greater than simply latest wins and losses, and necessity is the mom of invention. So why not conclude this trilogy at a historic occasion with Pereira and Adesanya throwing down one final time?

This combat could not have been the primary option to headline UFC 300, nevertheless it’s the matchup out there that makes essentially the most sense.

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Lee: Come alongside on a journey with me, gained’t you?

It’s true, a number of notable UFC names have already been booked for the approaching months, to the purpose that it feels just like the promotion has painted itself right into a nook with the massive three-double-oh on its method. However be mindful, we’re speaking in regards to the UFC, a company that has confirmed time and time once more that it may possibly solely fall upward. You don’t want such foolish issues as “a plan” when the plan will finally kind itself based mostly on how the playing cards fall.

Working example.

Alexander Volkanovski beats Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 in February. It’s a troublesome take a look at in opposition to an undefeated fighter that many see as the following massive factor at featherweight, however “The Nice” takes care of enterprise to notch his sixth straight title protection. He’s banged up, however nonetheless wholesome sufficient to do one thing loopy. Put a pin on that.

The following month, Sean O’Malley takes out Marlon Vera in a rematch at UFC 299 that’s disappointingly temporary. “Chito” has the instruments to beat the bantamweight champ, and he carried bragging rights from their earlier combat heading into this one, however O’Malley stuns everybody with a first-round knockout of his rival. He takes the mic and, with UFC 300 nonetheless needing a must-see headliner (let’s say a few title fights have already been booked, however nothing earth-shattering), he requires Volkanovski to make a fast turnaround and meet him at T-Cell in Las Vegas on April 13 for the featherweight belt.

Pandemonium. Social media in a frenzy. Dogs and cats living together.

Would Volkanovski even settle for such a combat beneath these circumstances? In fact, he would, he’s completed it earlier than in any case. He’s constructed for this. He’s acquired that canine in him.

Identical to that, UFC 300 can tout what would seemingly find yourself being the largest fundamental occasion of 2024. Volkanovski wanting so as to add to his legacy, with O’Malley chasing two-division champ standing. As with so most of the UFC’s most memorable moments, this one writes itself.

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Meshew: To begin with, I hate that Steven has bested me. It takes so much to out-take me in conditions like this, however Marrocco’s Trendy Life has completed it in a style that I’ve no selection however to respect, as a result of I can’t go excessive of it. There is no such thing as a re-raise out there to me, so as a substitute, I’ll sheepishly be the voice of cause for this text.

The UFC 300 fundamental occasion will probably be — sigh — Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad.

I do know. I hate myself for even writing it. UFC 300 headlined by that combat. It’s sickening. However when you consider it, it makes an excessive amount of sense. There are actually not quite a lot of different alternate options out there on the market, and for those who look again at UFC 200, the identical form of factor occurred. Miesha Tate headlined that card with a title protection in opposition to Amanda Nunes who, on the time, not a single individual cared about. That’s a greater combat in hindsight than it was on the time, and even nonetheless it’s not precisely gangbusters. However that is what occurs in conditions like this.

The UFC believes (most likely appropriately) that 300 will promote as a result of it’s 300, and they also’re not going to speculate their largest stars into the product. These fighters can carry separate PPVs. As an alternative, we’re more likely to get a pair title fights and one mercenary, like they did with Brock Lesnar. And based on recent events, my finest guess is that the mercenary will probably be Jorge Masvidal, maybe in a rematch with Ben Askren. Leon will combat Belal in the primary occasion (ugh, nonetheless sends shivers down my backbone, two of the 30 finest fighters on the planet headlining UFC 300, the horror!), and we’ll most likely get like, Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan within the co-main. Then they’ll fill the remainder of the cardboard out with all identify fighters, and that’ll be it. I had briefly hoped for Adesanya vs. Dricus du Plessis (after he wins the middleweight title), however the timeline simply doesn’t appear to suit. So right here we’re. Underwhelming to the Nth diploma.

Congratulations, Steven, you’ve damaged me.