UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping has defended the choice of Alex Pereira versus Jamahal Hill as the main event for UFC 300, arguing that despite fan criticism, the matchup is compelling and worthy of headlining the card, and that the overall fight card could potentially be the greatest ever assembled.
The UFC 300 main event was always gonna be a tough sell. With sky-high expectations, any fight was bound to face some backlash.
The actual headliner? Alex Pereira defending his light heavyweight title against Jamahal Hill. This fight was the last to be booked, after most of the card was already set. On any other pay-per-view, Pereira vs. Hill would be a solid main event. But for UFC 300? Fans weren’t thrilled.
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping gets it. He understands why fans were upset about Pereira vs. Hill headlining UFC 300. But he thinks the complaints are a bit much.
Bisping told MMA Fighting, “I think because it was UFC 300, they were expecting something like a Brock Lesnar versus Tom Aspinall or just wild superstars, like a Khabib [Nurmagomedov] versus GSP (Georges St-Pierre).” He pointed out that UFC 200 had Miesha Tate–Amanda Nunes as the main event, and it was still a fantastic card.
He went on to praise Alex Pereira, saying, “what he’s achieved in this sport in such a short amount of time is just phenomenal.” Pereira has only had seven fights, but he’s beaten four former champions. Now, he has the chance to add a fifth champion to his resume.
Bisping also had kind words for Jamahal Hill, who was the champ and beat Glover Teixeira. He admitted that Hill isn’t one of the biggest names in MMA pay-per-view history, but he still thinks it’s a compelling fight.
Because of the hype around UFC 300, Bisping believes almost any fight would have faced similar criticism. He said, “It’s a legitimate title fight and it’s at the top of the bill of one of the best cards ever compiled.”
One big name that didn’t get booked at UFC 300 was Conor McGregor. Many assumed McGregor’s return after nearly three years away would happen at this historic card. But UFC CEO Dana White shot that down.
McGregor just finished promoting his feature film debut in the Road House remake. He had to travel globally for premieres and media obligations. So, a training camp for UFC 300 would have been nearly impossible.
Bisping argues that McGregor’s star power wasn’t really needed for UFC 300. He said, “I don’t think there was ever any discussion of [Conor] being on 300.” He added that when McGregor does come back, it will be a massive event. But UFC 300 doesn’t necessarily even need Conor.
Bisping also pointed out that McGregor builds spectacular events just with his name. So, it’s nice that other people are getting the chance to headline something so monumental.
Back in 2016, McGregor was supposed to headline UFC 200. But a disagreement led to him delaying his return until UFC 202. Both cards sold over 1 million pay-per-views in a very short amount of time.
If McGregor ends up fighting at UFC 303 in June, the promotion could enjoy a similar windfall. That is, as long as UFC 300 still produces blockbuster numbers.
Bisping doesn’t see how anyone can really complain about the quality of the card at UFC 300. He said, “I think on paper when you look at it, there’s a potential that this is the greatest fight card ever assembled.”
He added that the first fight of the night, Cody Garbrandt vs. Deiveson Figueiredo, features two former champions. And it just continues fight after fight after fight. Three title fights on the main card, so many champions, every fight is competitive.
Bisping acknowledged that some people criticize Dana White for the main event. But he pointed out that there are many reasons why certain fights don’t happen. Fighters have other obligations, injuries, or maybe they just don’t want to fight. Despite all this, he believes UFC 300 is still a fantastic fight card.