The Vanquished: What’s Next for the UFC 300 Losers?

Executing an event that satisfies the towering expectations of fans, particularly when it’s imbued with the gravity of a milestone event such as UFC 300, is no trivial challenge. Yet, the recently concluded Ultimate Fighting Championship event not only achieved but transcended those expectations. At UFC 300, it felt as if the stars were exquisitely aligned, with each fighter delivering a performance that seemed fated to immortalize their status in the history of the organization. To put it simply, we speak for everyone in our humble representation of the collective sentiment that this event will resonate across ages, its legacy handed down through generations.

From the opening fight where Deiveson Figueiredo impressed with a second-round submission victory over Cody Garbrandt, to Kayla Harrison’s spectacular UFC debut, the momentum of the preliminary card rolled over onto the main card. And as early as April, we are already presented with candidates for what may be regarded as the epitome of glory in the calendar year. With that, in the aftermath of the event, we look at potential matchups for fighters from the main card who unfortunately found themselves on the losing side.

Cody Brundage

Bo Nickal was pushed to his lengthiest contest to date, entering the second round for the first time in his professional MMA career against Brundage. Nickal asserted his wrestling acumen, systematically scrapping for dominant positions in a bid to break his opponent’s defense. It appeared initially that Brundage was prepared for the tactical ground assault, but the decorated Hodge Trophy laureate advanced with chain wrestling and maintained stringent control. In the second round, Nickal calibrated the readings from the preceding round and intensified his approach. When the opportunity presented, he navigated to Brundage’s back, and flawlessly executed a rear-naked choke, subduing his opponent at the 3:38 mark of the second round. With this loss, Brundage’s two-fight win streak following a three-fight skid petered out. Currently, he holds a 4-5 record in the UFC, and faces a potential jeopardy regarding roster position security in the Las Vegas-based promotion. In that case, he pairs up well against Dylan Budka who lost his promotional debut against Cesar Almeida earlier this month. The matchup could be the perfect opportunity that Brundage needs at this point to orchestrate a career resurgence.

Charles Oliveira

In this high-stakes clash with massive title fight implications, Oliveira launched an assertive offensive onslaught from the onset, clamping down with a guillotine choke submission attempt in a bid to swiftly dispatch Arman Tsarukyan. Nevertheless, the surging contender circumvented the precarious position, letting him loose from the threatening grip and reversing the position. As the dynamics shifted, he asserted control from above, methodically slicing Oliveira with elbows. The second round progressed similarly and it came down to the last and final round. There, both fighters engaged in a labored exchange of blows in open space before grappling took center stage once again. Tsarukyan initially controlled the better part of the round from mount, but “do Bronx,” never one to relent, put Tsarukyan in a D’arce choke only to be seemingly saved by the bell. In the end, "Ahalkalakets" won the bout via split decision on the judges’ scorecards. Having fought the who’s who of the 155-pound bracket, the options for Oliveira’s next fight is somewhat scarce. Having said that, everyone would fancy a matchup between him and Rafael Fiziev, who has been out of action since he tore his ACL against Mateusz Gamrot in September last year. If not that, considering it still remains unclear when Fiziev will be fit to compete again, a matchup against Gamrot is another exciting prospect that Oliviera can perhaps explore.

Justin Gaethje

A maelstrom of violence, bravado, fortitude, and pure carnage defined the BMF title bout between Max Holloway and Gaethje. The MMA community concurs with UFC CEO Dana White’s appraisal that this fight was the quintessence of what the title was designed to represent. From the opening bell, Holloway looked like the sharper fighter with his combinations while Gaethje chopped away with his patented leg kicks. In the final moments of the opening sequence, “Blessed” landed a flying round kick on a rushing Gaethje that shattered the American’s nose. Heavily compromised in the first, it was solely the toughness of the former 155-pound interim champ that helped him survive not just that, but two accidental eye pokes in the subsequent round.

However, the last round was the cinematic climax that will surely be recognized in the future as a moment replayed ad infinitum, standing out as the crowning highlight of the event. When the final 10- second clacker sounded, Holloway invited Gaethje to stand in the center and swing away, true to the essence of the BMF championship on the line. Gaethje obliged and the two started swinging, with Holloway putting a right hand on Gaethje’s jaw, knocking him out cold in the final second of the fight. The crowd erupted in a deafening roar, stunned by the cold moment. There, in that instant, was a true exhibition of sporting moment greatness.

Even with the loss, Gaethje’s stocks hold steady for the pure entertainment value his fights carry. It will be safe to say that “The Highlight” will take some time off before he returns to fight again. Whenever he does, he can look down on the list for a tune-up fight perhaps against someone like Benoit St. Denis or Renato Carneiro. St. Denis succumbed to a second-round KO loss against Dustin Poirier in his last fight while Carneiro just scored a TKO victory over Jalin Turner in the prelim showcase of UFC 300.

Xiaonan Yan

The duel between Chinese standouts for the women’s 115-pound throne proved to be a thrilling affair from the opening round. Weili Zhang was only a second or two away from securing a submission win after locking onto a deep rear-naked choke. Yan was saved by the bell and it looked like she was out for a moment, only to be dominated on the canvas again in the second. Zhang continued to chase submissions in search of a finish while also pounding heavy shots on her opponent. However, Yan wouldn’t go down without a fight, rallying in the third and early moments of the fourth, knocking down the seemingly fatigued champion during one sequence. In the final frame, “Magnum” took the fight to the canvas and neutralized Yan, chipping away shots en route to a unanimous decision victory.

This loss halts Yan’s two-fight win streak but she has plenty of time to rally back for a title shot again. “Fury” pairs up well against No.3-ranked contender Amanda Lemos and a win over a top-ranked contender should propel her closer to a title shot again. Lemos is coming off a unanimous decision win over Mackenzie Dern after being at the receiving end of a disappointing one-sided beatdown against the reigning champion at UFC 292.

Jamahal Hill

Alex Pereira maintained his grip on the light heavyweight championship by decisively dispatching Hill with his colossal left hook in the shortest fight on the main card. Halfway through the opening round, Pereira, having gauged distance with body jabs and leg kicks, pressured Hill towards the fence. With the instincts of a seasoned hunter, Pereira caught Hill with a left hook flush and unloaded with thundering shots, effortlessly reinforcing his stature as the champion.

For Hill, who returned after a layoff from injury, this loss represents a need to regroup for his next bid for a title run. The American pairs well with fellow former champ Jan Blachowicz and theit fight would carry massive title fight implications. The Polish fighter is currently recovering from shoulder surgery and was last seen inside the Octagon in a split-decision loss to Pereira at UFC 291.