Alex Pereira to defend light heavyweight title against Jamahal Hill in UFC 300

UFC 300 had faced an unusual situation with less than two months until the historic pay-per-view, lacking a defined main event.

The initially planned matchup between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway for the symbolic BMF championship had been the most prominent bout on the card.

White addressed the issue, stating, “In this business, it"s about taking opportunities. Headlining UFC 300 with all the buzz and energy around it, we"ve been talking about 300 forever. We were just trying to make the best fights we could possibly make. These two guys are it."

Alex Pereira, hailing from Brazil, will make his inaugural defense of the light heavyweight crown after securing the vacant title with a victory over Jiří Procházka at UFC 295 in November.

On the other side, Jamahal Hill seeks redemption and aims to reclaim the gold he lost due to an Achilles injury suffered while playing basketball last summer. Hill earned his first career championship by defeating Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in January.

The light heavyweight division has witnessed a turbulent period since Jon Jones vacated his position atop the division in 2020, resulting in five different champions with only one successful title defense. Both Procházka and Hill, the predecessors to Pereira, had to relinquish their titles without making a single defense.

Neither Hill nor Pereira have suffered a loss in the light heavyweight division, making this upcoming clash a battle of undefeated contenders.

While they may not be household names, the expectation is that the fight itself will exceed expectations and add to the spectacle of UFC"s 300th pay-per-view event.