UFC 300 will be a milestone night for MMA, and two titles will be decided on a card full of fascinating fights.
In the co-main event, Alex Pereira (9-2-0) will look to defend his light heavyweight belt against Jamahal Hill (12-1-0), who vacated the title last July after tearing his Achilles.
The odds are much more lopsided for the other title fight of the night. Zhang Weili (24-3-0) is a heavy favorite to maintain her strawweight belt against challenger Yan Xiaonan (17-3-0).
Let’s break down the UFC 300 card and pick out some of our best bets.
UFC odds used for these UFC 300 picks are current as of Friday, April 12, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
UFC 300 Main Event Odds
To Win: Alex Pereira (-130) • Jamahal Hill (+110)
Pereira is a short favorite in his first title defense at this weight class.
The Brazilian moved up to the light heavyweight division after losing his middleweight title in a rematch against Israel Adesanya last April.
The former kickboxer has had relatively similar odds in previous wins over Jan Blachowicz and Jiří Procházka.
Still, it feels like Hill is getting plenty of respect in the market despite not fighting in over a year.
Then again, Hill claimed this title belt in his last bout, earning a unanimous decision from the judges against former champion Glover Teixeira.
UFC 300 Card & Schedule
T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will host UFC 300, which features 13 fights in all.
The early prelims are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, the prelims will start at 8 p.m., and the main event kicks off at 10 p.m.
The main event schedule is as follows:
- Light Heavyweight Championship: Alex Pereira (c) vs. Jamahal Hill
- Women’s Strawweight Championship: Zhang Weili (c) vs. Yan Xiaonan
- Lightweight: Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway
- Lightweight: Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan
- Middleweight: Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage
Wager on all the action with our DraftKings UFC promo.
UFC 300 Main Event: Pereira vs Hill
Hill Defeats Pereira (Knockout)
This fight could go either way, but it’s probably not going the distance.
It’s also unlikely to end in a submission, as these two fighters prefer to stay on their feet.
Pereira is the more polished technician, but when healthy, Hill boasts an impressive combination of cardio and power, landing 7.31 significant strikes per minute over his UFC career.
If the American has fully recovered from his Achilles injury, he has a strong chance to recoup his title.
UFC 300 Main Event Best Bet
Hill Defeats Pereira (+110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Although this fight is likely to be decided via knockout, taking Hill at plus-money odds to win gives us plenty of value as it is.
Back the underdog to reclaim the light heavyweight belt as your UFC pick of the day.
UFC 300 Undercard Predictions
Zhang Weili Defeats Yan Xiaonan (Knockout)
Weili went the distance in her last fight, earning a unanimous decision over Amanda Lemos at UFC 292.
However, she has way more title fight experience than Xiaonan, which gives her a massive advantage here.
Max Holloway Defeats Justin Gaethje (Decision)
The BMF belt is up for grabs in one of the most intriguing matchups of the night.
These are two of the UFC’s elite strikes, with Gaethje landing 7.35 significant strikes per minute and Holloway falling just below him at 7.17.
Although Holloway is moving up a weight class, he has a significant advantage in defensive metrics and has never been knocked out in 29 career UFC fights. He should outlast Gaethje in a thriller.
Arman Tsarukyan Defeats Charles Oliveira (Decision)
Both fighters beat up on Beneil Dariush in their most recent bouts.
Tsarukyan needed just 1:04 to knock Dariush out in December, while Oliveira earned a knockout win in 4:10 last June.
The Brazilian has a chance to spring the upset if he takes this fight to the floor, but Tsarukyan is pretty strong defensively and is the younger, more significant striker.
Bo Nickal Defeats Cody Brundage (Submission)
The first fight on the main card may not take long.
Undefeated American Bo Nickal, who won multiple wrestling national championships collegiately at Penn State, is a heavy favorite over Cody Brundage.
Brundage might not be buying into the hype around the 28-year-old, but Nickal has ended each of his first five professional fights within three minutes.
UFC 300 Undercard Best Bets
Weili Defeats Xiaonan by KO/TKO/DQ (+125)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Weili is too significant of a favorite to back on the moneyline (-485) unless you’re looking for a parlay piece.
Holloway Defeats Gaethje (+136)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
The steam continues to come in on Holloway, who has the defensive prowess required to spring this upset.
Nickal Defeats Brundage by 1st Round Submission (+110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Expect the former Penn State wrestler’s stardom to continue to rise with an impressive, quick performance on the sport’s biggest stage.
Procházka Defeats Rakić (-110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Both fighters are coming off losses and will want to impress in the final bout of the prelims.
Aleksander Rakić is stronger defensively, but Procházka’s knockout rate speaks for itself.
If this fight ends quickly, the Czech is likely to emerge victorious.
