UFC 300 features 6 fights that will impact our Weight Class Top 25 lists
- #13 BW Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt (BW #160)
Cody Garbrandt has fallen far since holding the UFC belt, losing 5 of 6 in a five-year span before rebounding with a couple wins that didn't move him up much. But beating Figueiredo could help him regain a lot of ground. Figueiredo is making his Bantamweight debut and starts at #13. A win for Figueiredo would likely put him just inside in the top 10; Cody won't get in the top 25 if he wins but it would knock Figueiredo down leaving both fighters just outside the rankings.
Result: Deiveson Figueiredo def. Cody Garbrandt by rear naked choke R2
Deiveson Figueiredo will likely move to #9 in our Bantamweight rankings. Garbrandt will remain unranked. - #3 BW Aljamain Sterling vs. Calvin Kattar (FW #117)
This is the weirdest fight in terms of our rankings. Former Bantamweight champion Sterling would be #1 if ranked at Featherweight right now, and this will be his qualifying fight. So if he wins—even though Kattar is only #117—he will have our FW belt! Seems a bit unfair, but that's what the points say. Sterling won 9 fights in a row prior to his loss to Sean O'Malley, amassing tons of point; meanwhile the top Featherweight Alexander Volkanovski lost twice to Islam Makhachev and then to Ilia Topuria, leaving the Featherweight rankings depleted at the very top. Aljo will be ranked as a Featherweight after his first FW fight is completed, so unless it's a No Contest he'll be somewhere at or near the top.
Kattar has fallen out of the top 100 at Featherweight (there are a lot of FW fighters!) due to losing 3 of his last 4 fights, as well as not winning a fight in over two years. He's much better than #117 of course, but in our rankings you have to prove it by winning fights. Beating Sterling would immediately put Kattar back in the top 10, probably around #5 at Featherweight.
Result: Aljamain Sterling def Calvin Katter by UD
Well there you, Aljo is our FW champ like it or not, and in a pretty boring way. He won't be that far ahead of Topuria, so the title might switch hands after Topuria's next fight. - #6 LH Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic (LH #44)
Ex-Light Heavyweight king Jiri Prochazka hopes to move into position to regain his title. If he beats Aleksandar Rakic he will get his first win in almost 2 years, and stop bleeding points. But it won't get him in the top five unless Jamahall Hill loses in the main event. Rakic has a lot more to gain, with a win putting him in the top 10.
Result: Jiri Prochazka TKO Aleksandar Rakic R2
Crazy fight, Jiri prevails and he'll be either #5 or stay at #6, either way he's back in the W column. - #3 LW Charles Oliveira vs. #9 LW Arman Tsarukyan
A huge fight at Lightweight. Oliveira can move up to #2, and Tsarykyan can jump all the way to #3. The loser suffers a setback but will remain solidly in the top 25.
Result: Arman Tsarukyan SD Charles Oliveira
Tsarukyan wins a hard-fought decision, and he will be #3 in the May rankings. Oliveira will drop to around #6. - #4 LW Justin Gaethje vs. #10 LW Max Holloway
Another huge fight at Lightweight. Gaethje can only advance one spot, and that's only if Charles Oliveira loses his fight. But he'll remain in line for a title fight. Max Holloway is moving up to Lightweight (for good, he says) and is already in the top 10; a win puts him at #5 or #6 depending on what happens in the other big LW fight.
Result: Max Holloway KO 5 Justin Gaethje
Amazing fight, amazing finish with 2 seconds to go. Apparently Holloway might want Topuria at FW, but he'll be near the top 5 in our LW rankings. - #1 LH Alex Pereira vs. #3 LH Jamahal Hill
This is the only pure title fight of the night, where the winner is #1. Pereira can retain his title and put ore distance between himself and #2 Magomed Ankalaev. Hill can jump both of them and get our #1 ranking for the first time.
Result: Alex Pereira KO 1 Jamahal Hill
Pereira retains the #1 ranking and belt; Hill will drop to around #7
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