UFC 300 – Syndication Server

MMA Junkie’s 2024 Event of the Year: UFC 300

There are fight cards that are supposed to be too big to fail. When those come through with iconic moments, there’s reason to celebrate.

There were fight cards in 2024 that were put together to be too big to fail.

And in the business of selling pay-per-views, that’s obviously a very smart thing. But how often do those shows turn into ones that were merely good for “on-paper” views, and when it came time to deliver the goods, they left a little something to be desired?

In 2024, events that were so monumental they demanded viewing in the MMA world included a historic round number, a debut in a revolutionary new building, iconic title fights and a crossover event pitting champions from one promotion against their counterparts in another.

But an iconic moment helped push one way ahead of the pack.

UFC 300 is MMA Junkie’s 2024 Event of the Year.

It was a show that was, without question, too big to fail. At T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the card was curtain-jerked by a fight between two former champions. And we’re talking recent champs, too, with Deiveson Figueiredo’s submission of Cody Garbrandt. Another ex-champ, Jessica Andrade, was on the bill just two fights later. And those were the early prelims.

[lawrence-related id=2795440,2795001,2794201]

Two-time PFL champ and two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison finally got her chance to test herself in the UFC, and against an ex-titleholder, too – and it had to languish on the ESPN prelims instead of the main card.

The main card had two title fights, including Alex Pereira’s third headlining win of the year when he took out ex-champ Jamahal Hill. But one absolutely massive moment for Max Holloway solidified not only his spot as an MMA icon, but put UFC 300 way over the top for Event of the Year.

In a fight he was winning against Justin Gaethje, with the “BMF” title at stake, Holloway now famously pointed at the canvas to signal to his opponent they should throw for the fences for the final 10 seconds. And that they did.

Holloway landed a haymaker of a right hand with two seconds left in the fight, and Gaethje was out on the canvas with a second to go. With bonus amounts set at $300,000 in advance to mark the historic UFC 300 occasion, Holloway double-dipped with Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night for $600,000 in bonuses alone.

But his knockout took the Hawaiian former featherweight champion into living legend territory, and it made UFC 300 the kind of legendary event that lives up to its advance billing.

UFC 300 had eight finishes in 13 fights, 11 current or former UFC champions, former champs from other promotions, Olympic medalists, NCAA wrestling champions, two title fights, long-awaited promotional debuts, record-setting moments …

By comparison, UFC 306 at The Sphere was a technical marvel, but it wasn’t littered up and down with as many stars – and its results also were, while not insignificant, devoid of many finishes. And the PFL vs. Bellator crossover event early in the year lost some of its luster when it turned out that the Bellator half of the product seemed to be on the way out.

Shows like UFC 299 and UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden become also-rans when held up to UFC 300. But UFC 300 may wind up being MMA’s all-time standard-bearer, anyway, when all is said and done, and that makes the runners-up this year a nice group of moral victors.

UFC star Dustin Poirier makes pick for 2024 Knockout of the Year

Dustin Poirier is one of the UFC’s all-time knockout artists, so his opinion for 2024 Knockout of the Year carries weight.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] knows a thing or two about knockouts, and his initial pick for 2024 Knockout of the Year may not be the popular opinion.

Poirier acknowledges that [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) pointing to the floor in the final seconds of his BMF title fight against Justin Gaethje and subsequently face-planting him at UFC 300 is a dramatic moment, but that wasn’t his first pick for the best knockout in 2024.

“The Diamond” thinks featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) becoming the first fighter to knock out Holloway, as he did at UFC 308 in October, tops it.

“For me personally, it’s got to be Topuria knocking out Max,” Poirier said on ESPN’s “Good Guy/Bad Guy” show with Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen. “Max is a legend, multiple-time world champion, one of the best guys to ever do it, and Topuria was the first man to put him on his ass and knock him out. That was super impressive for me.”

Poirier has fought Holloway twice in the past, most recently outlasting him in a five-round battle to claim the interim lightweight title in their rematch in April 2019. Poirier landed some bombs on Holloway, but wasn’t able to put him away.

Topuria finally shattering the record-setting durability run of Holloway is why he rates the knockout so highly.

“Just how elusive he is in there but also the guys he fought, he’s never been put down,” Poirier said of Holloway. “Going in there toe-to-toe with Gaethje, I mean the list goes on with me, with Conor (McGregor), with a bunch of guys.

“Taking big shots and always answering the bell, always getting back up, always showing up to the next round. Never really seen him rocked or stumble that much. And to get put down for the first time after 30-plus UFC fights is, to me, Knockout of the Year.”

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) himself had one of the best knockouts of the year when he sparked Benoit Saint Denis with a big right hook at UFC 299 in March. That would earn him a shot at lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, but Poirier fell short when he was submitted in Round 5.

Although Poirier initially made the case for Topuria, eventually Cormier convinced “The Diamond” that Holloway’s knockout of Gaethje deserves the No. 1 ranking.

“I do, me and the UFC are close on making it happen,” Poirier said on his next fight. “Hopefully, I’ll have some news for you guys soon. But going back to Knockout of the Year, can I switch my pick? Just now you talking about it, it brought me back.

“I was doing a viewing party in Connecticut, and it brought me back to that moment, and I got to say, I was more in awe that night than I was working ESPN with Chael, and Ilia did it. When Ilia did it, I was surprised. When Max did it, I was kind of in awe, blown away at the way he fell. Just everything combined just made it so special.”

[lawrence-related id=2732476,2781371,2734669,2734728]

UFC free fight: Renato Moicano makes Jalin Turner pay for walk-off attempt with UFC 300 comeback

Renato Moicano earned his second main event spot vs. Benoit Saint Denis at UFC Fight Night 243 with an epic comeback at UFC 300.

Jalin Turner seemingly had [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] dead-to-rights at UFC 300, but then a tactical error cost him the win.

Moicano (19-5-1 MMA, 11-5 UFC) is set to face Benoit Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in next Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 243 main event at Accor Arena in Paris (ESPN+) in what will be the first headliner of his promotional tenure. That spot was earned through a gruelling comeback win over Turner at the monumental UFC 300 event in April.

Turner came out of the fight strong, hurting Moicano on the feet and using his striking ability to score a knockdown. Instead of pouncing on his downed opponent, though, Turner attempted to get a walk-off highlight. The fight wasn’t stopped, however, and Moicano regained his wits and made it to the next round, where he got the fight to the mat and finished the job with a ground-and-pound TKO.

[lawrence-related id=2767287,2733225]

The result put Moicano on a three-fight winning streak and pushed his record to 6-1 since moving up to the lightweight division from featherweight. His reward was a main event in hostile territory, because he’ll next take on France’s Saint Denis in a fight with big stakes for the winner.

Before UFC Fight Night 243, however, the UFC has released the full fight video of Moicano vs. Turner, which can be viewed above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.

Bobby Green def. Jim Miller at UFC 300: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Bobby Green’s unanimous decision win over Jim Miller at UFC 300.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] at UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Fight and venue photos by Mark J. Rebilas, USA Today Sports and Carmen Mandato, Getty Images)

Nov 2, 2019; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Florida Gators linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) gestures to the crowd against the Georgia Bulldogs at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stamey-USA TODAY Sports

Sep 21, 2019; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Michael Wilson (4) runs for the first down during the fourth quarter against Oregon Ducks cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. (4) at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Video: 2024 half-year UFC awards and storylines review with Megan Olivi and Mike Bohn

UFC correspondent Megan Olivi gives picks for best fighters, knockout, submission, fight, storyline and more from the first half of 2024.

The first six months of the UFC calendar were nothing short of chaotic.

The promotion hosted 22 events between January and June. Within those there were plenty of memorable and dramatic moments both in and out of the octagon.

Before the UFC turns the page to the next half of its 2024 campaign, though, longtime correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] joined MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn to recap what’s happened so far and give out awards for the half-year, including:

Best Male Fighter
Best Female Fighter
Best Knockout
Best Submission
Best Fight
Top Storyline
Favorite Personal Moment

Check out the video above to see Olivi and Bohn discuss all the topics above that highlight the likes of UFC 300, UFC 303, Alex Pereira, Max Holloway, Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier and much, much more.

[lawrence-related id=2734553,2752781,2744705]

For more updates on the UFC calendar, check out the events section of the website.

Arman Tsarukyan fined $25K, suspended nine months by NAC for UFC 300 fan altercation

The Nevada Athletic Commission has issued its verdict on the incident during Arman Tsarukyan’s walkout at UFC 300.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]’s pre-fight incident with a fan at UFC 300 has come with a cost.

The UFC lightweight contender has been fined $25,000 and suspended nine months by the Nevada Athletic Commission for throwing a punch at a fan during his walkout for his fight against Charles Oliveira on April 13 in Las Vegas. The NAC announced its ruling Tuesday during a monthly board meeting.

Tsarukyan’s suspension is set to terminate nine months from the date of the incident – which is Jan. 12, 2025. The suspension could get reduced to six months if Tsarukyan issues an anti-bullying public service announcement approved by the commission, which would make him eligible to return to action Oct. 12.

Tsarukyan was met with a middle finger by a fan during his walkout before his split decision win over Oliveira. In response, Tsarukyan threw a punch into the crowd, which was captured on the broadcast and from multiple cell phone cameras.

The 27-year-old is currently on a four-fight winning streak and regarded as the next title challenger, given his bout with Oliveira was labeled a “title eliminator” by the UFC.

[lawrence-related id=2734603]

Dricus Du Plessis points to Alexander Volkanovski as example of why he turned down UFC 300 offer

Dricus Du Plessis doesn’t think people understand how much money he was offered to fight at UFC 300.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] stands by his decision not to fight at UFC 300.

Middleweight champion Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) was called by the UFC to defend his title against Israel Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) on the historic card April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

He turned it down.

Du Plessis was recovering from a broken foot suffered in his title win over Sean Strickland less than three months before that at UFC 297, and wasn’t going to risk fighting compromised.

“I won’t say numbers just because I don’t like it, but I don’t think people understand the amount of money they offered me to fight at UFC 300,” Du Plessis told Fight Wave. “You don’t understand the bitter pill it was to say no to that fight. I had a broken foot. What do you guys want? The fight was eight weeks after.”

Du Plessis referenced former featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]’s bold move of stepping in on just 10 days’ notice to rematch lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294. He was knocked out in Round 1, then lost his featherweight title to Ilia Topuria also by knockout at UFC 298.

“This is your career, you have to be smart about it,” Du Plessis said. “Look at Alex Volkanovski. …As a champion stepping in on a week’s notice. That is so bad ass, but what happened? What favors did that do him? Yeah, he got money. That’s not why I do this.

“He got money, but he got knocked out because obviously he didn’t have time to prepare for that fight. Do you think that anybody went, ‘Oh, but he took it on short notice?’ No, everybody went, ‘he got knocked out.’ He still got knocked out, still has that loss then lost his title.”

[lawrence-related id=2721701,2719183]

Diego Lopes’ Dana White-approved UFC 300 fence-hopping fine reduced to $2,500

The Nevada Athletic Commission is going to have to cut Diego Lopes a check after Friday’s hearing … sort of.

The Nevada Athletic Commission is going to have to cut [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] a check after Friday’s hearing … sort of.

Lopes was fined $5,000 when he hopped over the fence after his UFC 300 finish of Sodiq Yusuff in April.

Friday, the NAC cut that suspension in half in an adjudication with Lopes. Officially, his fine will be $2,500 plus legal fees of $157.04. Because the commission already withheld $5,000 from Lopes, which was 5 percent of his $100,000 purse, he’s due the difference.

At a prior hearing, NAC executive director Jeff Mullen said UFC CEO Dana White said he’d pay Lopes’ fine. Video showed Lopes appeared to ask White for permission to jump over the fence before he did it.

“After (Lopes) won, he jumped up and gestured toward Dana White, like, ‘Can I come over? Can I come over?'” Mullen said. “And White gestured like, ‘Come over.’ Then, I immediately stood up and took a step over that way and Dana White said, ‘I will pay his fine. I will pay his fine.’ Then our inspectors came around and proceeded to (assist) as I was trying to get him back in the cage, also. Our inspectors came around and escorted him back in the cage.”

Lopes (24-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC) knocked out Yusuff (13-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) just 89 seconds into their featherweight fight at UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. After a loss in his UFC debut, Lopes has three straight first-round finishes, all around the 90-second range.

Also at Friday’s hearing, the commission extended the temporary suspensions of [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag], [autotag]Igor Severino[/autotag] and [autotag]Jay Jay Wilson[/autotag] for resolution at a future meeting.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Matt Brown explains how UFC 300 snub finalized retirement decision, says BKFC signing ‘not out of the question’

Matt Brown thought he was going to a get dream MMA retirement scenario at UFC 300. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way.

[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] thought he would get a dream retirement scenario to end his MMA career. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way.

Brown announced Saturday that he was hanging up his UFC gloves after a 28-fight stint with the promotion in which he went 15-13 and racked up a number of notable records, including most knockout wins in the storied history of the welterweight division.

“The Immortal” hadn’t fought since May 2023 and was seriously mulling walking away for some time. However, he hung onto the idea that he could have one last dance on the monumental UFC 300 card last month in Las Vegas. Brown said he was expecting to get a contract to fight Jim Miller in what would be his retirement fight, but the promotion decided to book Miller against Bobby Green instead, and that marked the nail in the coffin for Brown’s decision.

“The only thing I was really holding off for was I thought I was going to get on UFC 300 and fight Jim Miller, and I was going to use that for my sendoff,” Brown told MMA Junkie Radio on Monday. “I was pretty dead set on that: I’m going to fight Jim Miller at UFC 300, this would be the most badass sendoff ever fighting such a legend like Jim Miller on the biggest card in UFC history, and they didn’t make it happen. So I was like, ‘Well, f*ck it then.’

“I’m not bitter by any means, but if there’s anything that rubbed me the wrong way it’s that I wasn’t able to get on 300, because that’s how I wanted to end it. I begged to get on 100. I begged to get on 200. I begged to get on 300. I was like, ‘Dude, haven’t I earned something yet.’ I tried everything I could, and I thought it was set in stone. I was literally training to fight Jim Miller. He said he wanted to fight me; I said I wanted to fight him. I thought all the cards were in place, and I thought it was going to be an easy call, and then it didn’t happen. It would’ve been the perfect sendoff for me. I’m sure UFC has their reasons, whatever they are.”

‘No bitterness’ toward UFC

Brown clarified that he has “no bitterness whatsoever” toward the UFC brass and emphasized he was treated well throughout his nearly 16-year tenure with the company. In fact, he was offered a fight against Max Griffin recently for an upcoming event, but by the time the proposal came through, he’d already mentally exited from the idea of competition.

“The UFC did make me an offer a few months ago for a fight,” Brown said. “I remember I woke up one morning and I saw the email, and my d*ck didn’t get hard. I didn’t get a feeling down my spine. I wasn’t excited. I was like, ‘Man, I could use that money. That’d be cool.’ But I just didn’t get fired up about it. That was probably the first thing. Then, secondly, (I’ve been) flipping houses and running a gym now. I have a good crew of people and staff in my gym. I really feel like I’m selling these people short because I’ve been fighting, and these businesses are not growing to the extent they could because I’m not putting that kind of energy into it.

“I’m just going for that quick buck, going and making money fighting. My guys in my gym have been with me for the six years I’ve owned it. They’ve gotten very small raises the whole time. I feel like I can make a lot more money, not only for myself but for them also. We have a lot of customers I don’t really get to hang out with and speak to. I just feel like I’m feeling a lot of people short, including my family. My children – the ability to be present with them and the ability to spend more time with them, things like that.”

May 13, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Matt Brown (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Court McGee (blue gloves) in a welterweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Fighting outside of MMA?

At 43, Brown struggles to see a path back to fighting in his future, though he didn’t completely rule it out. The idea of fighting in the UFC is over, he said, and he’s already been withdrawn from the Drug Free Sport drug-testing pool.

Brown said he’s open to offers from non-MMA entities, but the dollars have to make sense.

“It’s not out of the question,” Brown said. “I’ve talked a little bit with those people (at BKFC). It’s not completely out of the question. Bareknuckle doesn’t excite me a ton because it’s just boxing with the hands, which doesn’t excite me a ton. But obviously I’m not going to turn down a big payday. I wish there was like a muay Thai promotion that would pay that kind of money, like a ONE Championship or something. That’s what makes me fired up the most is muay Thai. That’s what I love doing the most. I wouldn’t say it’s completely out of the question. But my mindset is not really in the fighting mindset right now. It’s really in the business mindset.

“If the number was right, and I don’t think any of these places will give me that number. If it was Floyd Mayweather or something and get $5 million, $6 million like, of course, I’m not going to turn that down. But anything under $1 million doesn’t even really make sense to me.”