Dana White Rules Out 3 Superstars From UFC 300

You might want to lower your expectations just a tiny bit for UFC 300.

With the mega-event only three months away, all sorts of questions are being asked on who else will join the card’s already stacked line-up. The Apr. 13 pay-per-view will include a BMF title fight featuring Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway as well as an all-chinese women’s flyweight title fight between Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan.

Having eight fights confirmed, UFC CEO Dana White says there’s more where that came from.

“There’s a couple more [dominoes to fall],” White told Sportsnet on Thursday. “I don’t think there’s gonna be anything outta left field. This is just gonna be a type of card that we’ve never done before. It’s gonna be… every fight is a must-see fight.”

After two 🔥 additions to #UFC300 announced by Dana White earlier today, the card is starting to look stacked!

What are your thoughts on UFC 300 after today's announcements? pic.twitter.com/yUAjTwuvTn

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 17, 2024

Speaking about left field, White dismisses the idea of several UFC stars returning for the historic card. 

“Ronda’s not coming back,” White added. “GSP is not coming back. Brock Lesnar is like 45 years old or pushing 50, 46. None of those calls were made.”

These former UFC Champions have not fought in many years. For Ronda Rousey, the former bantamweight champion wrapped up her career after two-straight knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. ‘Rowdy’ packed up her bags and went to the WWE, only coming back to the UFC in recent years to be inducted into the promotional Hall of Fame.

As for Georges St-Pierre, he’s no stranger to returning from a long layoff. The former champ did so in 2017, capturing the UFC Middleweight title from Michael Bisping at UFC 217 before retiring all over again.

From what White said, it seems as though ‘Rush’ isn’t rushing to get back into the Octagon anytime soon. 

Then, there’s Brock Lesnar, who the UFC CEO called up in 2016 to compete at UFC 200. Once considered ‘the baddest man on the planet’, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion hasn’t fought since a decision win against Mark Hunt – which was later overturned to a no-contest after a positive drug test from Lesnar.

Lesnar, 46, has fought at both UFC 100 and UFC 200, but it looks like he won’t come out of retirement for UFC 300. 

With three superstars out of the running, who will headline UFC 300?