UFC 300 LIVE: Fight updates and results as Alex Pereira and Max Holloway seal KO wins
Re-live updates from a stacked card involving Alex Pereira, Jamahal Hill, Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira and more
UFC 300 featured one of the greatest knockouts of all time on Saturday, as Max Holloway faceplanted Justin Gaethje in the final second of their ‘BMF’ title fight.
Holloway outclassed Gaethje for five rounds before capping off a stunning performance with a mesmerising KO, which left Gaethje out cold, face-first on the canvas.
With that, Hawaiian Holloway took the ‘Baddest Motherf***er’ belt from the American, while the other title fights at UFC 300 saw the champions retain.
In the main event, Alex Pereira knocked out Jamahal Hill in round one to remain champion at 205lbs, after the co-main event saw Zhang Weili outpoint fellow Chinese fighter Yan Xioanan to keep the strawweight gold.
Re-live updates and see all results from the UFC 300 prelims and main card, below.
UFC 300 LIVE: Zhang Weili vs Yan Xiaonan
Here we go, five rounds scheduled with the UFC strawweight title on the line.
UFC 300 LIVE: Zhang Weili vs Yan Xiaonan
I’m still shaking. One of the all-time great UFC performances and KOs.
We have to move on to the co-main event, though, as Zhang Weili’s second strawweight title reign sees her defend the belt against fellow Chinese fighter Yan Xiaonan.
This is the first all-Chinese title fight in the UFC.
UFC 300 LIVE: Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway
Round five
Final round! Tidy jab by Gaethje. Hard cross now. OH! Yet AGAIN Holloway scores with a spinning back kick. It’s been so precise for him tonight. It’s not a weapon you usually go to the well with so often.
Gaethje stalks Holloway. OH! Massive right hand by Holloway, and Gaethje drops to his knees!!
He’s back up but covering up, and Holloway is swarming him against the fence! This is wild! Another spin kick!
Clean cross by Max. Two minutes to go. Gaethje needs to stop Holloway.
Holloway points to the centre of the canvas with 10 seconds to go, and it’s a FIREFIGHT!
OH, MY GOD! HOLLOWAY FACEPLANTS GAEETHJE WITH ONE SECOND LEFT! GAETHJE IS OUT COLD! I AM SHAKING!
Max Holloway def. Justin Gaethje via fifth-round KO (punch, 4:59).
UFC 300 LIVE: Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway
Round four
Front kick to the body by Gaethje, and another. Mean right hook to the body by Holloway. Great one-two by Justin.
Right uppercut and left hook from Holloway. Gaethje comes back with a stern one-two. Holloway hurts Gaethje with two right hands! His timing is SO good!
Max is fighting so smartly. Now a reverse one-two, catching out Gaethje. Step-in jab by Holloway.
Another heavy leg kick by Gaethje. Max times a jab over the top, then an uppercut to the body.
OH! Gaethje scores a knockdown with a right hand!! Max pops back up; Holloway follows up with another hook, then a cross!
Holloway is able to circle away and buy time... Nice left hook by Gaethje, curled around the guard.
That knockdown likely stole that round for Justin.
Holloway 3-1 Gaethje, as Indy Sport sees it.
UFC 300 LIVE: Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway
Round three
Third round of the five scheduled. Holloway with a cross to the body. Gaethje with yet another low kick, then a front kick to the body.
Hard body kick by Holloway now, plus another lighter effort. He just about blocks an overhand from Gaethje, who lands another front kick.
Brutal low kick by Gaethje. “Man Max looks crisp tonight,” tweets Dustin Poirier, who holds two wins over the Hawaiian plus a win and loss against Gaethje.
OH! Another spinning back kick lands for Holloway! He then catches Gaethje with a punch in a frenzied exchange, and Gaethje looks to be in trouble... but he fires back! This is brilliant stuff.
ANOTHER spinning back kick tags Gaethje, who just looks a bit out of sorts right now... Still, he’s trying to stay composed, and he keeps battering Holloway’s leg.
Hard low kick by Gaethje, nice body cross by Max.
Holloway is either 2-1 or 3-0 up.
UFC 300 LIVE: Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway
Round two
How massive could that final kick be for Holloway? Gaethje keeps touching it... “My nose is completely blocked,” he tells his coach Trevor Wittman.
Hard left hook to the body by Gaethje. Holloway kicks low then to the body – and again to the body.
We have a brief pause in the action, with Gaethje seemingly suggesting there was an eye poke from Max... Yep, the replay confirms it.
Back under way. Gaethje kicks low and hard. Holloway with a cross to the body, then a high kick – which is blocked.
Gaethje complains of another eye poke, and the replay confirms this one, too.
The timeout is a brief one, and Holloway lands a great, step-off left hook to the body as we resume.
Hardddd low kick by Gaethje, and one more. Holloway with a clean cross on the buzzer.
A really close round with two interruptions due to eye pokes from Holloway. That one could go either way. Holloway may just be two up, however...
UFC 300 LIVE: Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway
Round one
Here we go! Five rounds scheduled. Both men stand orthodox.
Gaethje backs up Holloway early and wings a right hook. The American misses but lands a low kick shortly thereafter. Now Holloway kicks low. Another hard leg kick by Gaethje.
Max returns fire again, then lands a lovely switch cross! He drops the mat after another kick by Gaethje, however...
Holloway pops back up and lands a stern jab. Gaethje with a one-two, with each shot slightly hooked. Holloway with an uppercut then a left hook that seems to hurt Gaethje!!
Good jab by Holloway. Low kick by Gaethje, who then wings a right overhand and misses. Holloway with a right to the body.
There are duelling “Gaethje” and “Holloway” chants in the crowd. It’s surreal seeing these guys share a cage. Another leg kick by Gaethje, who then kicks high.
One more kick by Gaethje, and a one-two by Max. Gaethje comes back with a right cross. Gaethje slips while trying to blitz.
Holloway with a spinning back kick that catches Gaethje in the face!! The heel might have broken his nose! Gaethje stumbles around!
Wowwwwww. An interesting first round. Holloway might have just taken it.
UFC 300 LIVE: Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway
Next up, the consensus pick for fight of the night: Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway.
Gaethje defends the ‘Baddest Motherf***er’ title, as featherweight great Holloway moves up to lightweight for the second time.
In 2019, Holloway lost to Dustin Poirier while challenging for the interim lightweight belt, but the Hawaiian – who was featherweight champ at the time – was moving up a division on short notice.
This time, Holloway has had more time to prepare and bulk up. Will he be able to get it done against Gaethje, who won the BMF belt by knocking out Poirier last summer?
Either way, expect violence...
UFC 300 LIVE: Charles Oliveira vs Arman Tsarukyan
Round three
Huge round here – pivotal, you’d imagine. Oliveira chases Tsarukyan and leaps with a knee. Good one-two by Oliveira. Tsarukyan fires back.
Oliveira just misses with a right hook. He’s trying to drive the pace that he tends to like, but Tsarukyan is able to clinch and force the former champion to the fence.
Oliveira with a good knee, and he gets free – but only after Tsarukyan lands an elbow in close. Nice combination of punches upstairs by the Armenian-Russian. He shoots for a double-leg, but Oliveira backs up his hips and blocks it.
Good jab by Tsarukyan. Hard body kick by Oliveira. Tsarukyan kicks high. Again he goes for a takedown, and Oliveira tries to defend with a guillotine... Tsarukyan pops out again.
Tsarukyan is trying an arm triangle, but Oliveira turns and gives up the back... Knees to the body by Tsarukyan, as Oliveira prevents his opponent from securing leg hooks.
Oliveira is able to scramble free, and he tries a D’Arce with about 30 seconds left! He has it! But can Tsarukyan gut it out???
He can! We’ll go to the scorecards! Great fight. Tsarukyan likely did enough to take it...
Arman Tsarukyan def. Charles Oliveira via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
And there it is! Oliveira applauds Tsarukyan.
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