UFC 300 is scheduled for April 2024 and will likely be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While the UFC 300 card is yet to be confirmed, much speculation exists on who will headline the historic event. The UFC has traditionally hosted giant cards for their milestone events. UFC 100 saw stars like Brock Lesnar and Georges St. Pierre headline, while UFC 200 was headed up by the likes of Amanda Nunes, Daniel Cormier, Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva, and Brock Lesnar.
Now, the UFC 300 date is approaching. Here are five possible fights featured on the UFC 300 main card.
5 Fights the UFC Should Book for UFC 300
Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic
The controversial fight between pound-for-pound legend Jon Jones and former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic was initially slated to take place on November 12th, 2023, but was canceled when Jones suffered a torn pectoral tendon.
Instead of a late replacement for Miocic, an interim title match was arranged between Sergei Pavlovich and eventual winner Tom Aspinall. This fight has further called into question the legitimacy of the heavyweight title after Francis Nganouu left the company undefeated, as many see Aspinall as the rightful champion.
It has already been confirmed that Jones will return to face Miocic in the first half of 2024, but we still await an official date. It seems a fitting fight for such an occasion if Jones is recovered in time. Miocic has not competed since being brutally stopped by Francis Nganouu in early 2021 and has ultimately done nothing to gain the opportunity besides being Stipe Miocic.
Fight fans will likely never see either of these men legitimize their title by facing Aspinall, and both will probably retire afterward. Perhaps a stain on the lineage of the belt, but it’s still fun if you consider it to exist outside the heavyweight title picture.
Alexa Grasso vs Erin Blanchfield
It’s a near-certainty that the main card of UFC 300 will have at least one women’s fight. Honestly, there are not too many non-champion female fighters with the drawing power to command a spot near the top of this card.
Zhang Weili will likely defend her title against Yan Xiaonan next. And with both women being from China, it’s no surprise the UFC will see that fight as their headliner for a planned event in China. Understanding this reality leaves Grasso’s flyweight belt as the only option, considering the vacant bantamweight title will be contested in January.
Grasso upset simps worldwide by taking and retaining Valentina Shevchenko’s flyweight title, and while the pair are currently 1-1, it seems unlikely the UFC will book another immediate rematch.
Blanchfield has stormed the division since her debut in 2021, and at just 24 years old, this fight could make her the youngest female champion in UFC history.
Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier 4
Conor McGregor is the UFC’s biggest star. Personal opinions of the man aside, his relative drawing power is an undeniable fact. The UFC would be remiss to pass on lining McGregor up for a spot on this card. The question, however, is who he would fight.
Michael Chandler is the apparent front-runner for the fight. Still, with the need for a match-up capable of headlining such a monumental event (unless they somehow talk McGregor into not headlining), a battle with a backstory like Poirier vs McGregor is essential.
Dustin Poirier has been unseen since being knocked out by Justin Gaethje in the BMF title fight this summer, meaning that the “Diamond” would come into UFC 300 on a loss. Perhaps this may be used to justify booking him against an opponent he’s already fought three times.
Poirier has publicly stated his intention to return to the cage with a spot on UFC 300, so the carrot of the main event may be enough to get him running—regardless of opponent. But an unnecessary rematch? I think so. A gimme for Dustin Poirier? Most likely. Is this a sound possibility, given the UFC’s favorable treatment of Conor McGregor? Yes.
Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway
There is a solid case for Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje being MMA’s top two most fun fighters. As each man is at the top of their respective divisions, recent events have faltered their title hopes. The canceled rematch between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveria for the lightweight title means Gaethje will likely have to wait for an outcome before he can get his chance at redemption.
He may feel the competition is too hot on his heels to sit around and wait for a shot, and another statement victory would certainly seal his number-one-contender status.
Similarly, featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski’s exploits at 155-lbs. have created a bottleneck of contenders in Holloway’s home division. Holloway has already been on the losing side of a trilogy against Volkanovski and has stated his intention to move up to lightweight for the foreseeable future—even calling Gaethje out for his BMF belt.
Holloway is a former featherweight champion and was even scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title in 2018. If Holloway does add the extra ten pounds, a top-five name like Gaethje would be logical.
Charles Oliviera vs Islam Makhachev 2
The rematch fight fans are all waiting for was initially scheduled for UFC 294 in October, but an injury to Charles Oliveira has delayed it until further notice. Reports of the fight being rearranged for January were promptly dismissed, and the sport already has confirmed headliners up until UFC 299. Unless the UFC is happy to further back up the pipeline at 155-lbs., they will be looking to get this one going as soon as possible.
It’s not a matter of “if” this fight happens but when it happens. Assuming both men will be ready to go in April, there’s no doubt they will target this card to host it. Lightweight is arguably the UFC’s most popular division and Oliveria and Makhachev are two of the company’s foremost fan-favorites. Certainly, this matchup is capable of headlining UFC 300—unless they do McGregor vs Makhachev to headline the event, which wouldn’t shock this pundit too much.
