UFC 300, a historic pay-per-view event, featured a star-studded audience, celebrity sightings, and a series of special events, with MMA Fighting tracking all the happenings of the night.
UFC 300 is a spectacle like no other. The buzz is palpable. It’s a magnet for celebrities, from Donald Trump to Drake, Halle Berry to Shaq. They’ve all been drawn to the UFC’s electrifying atmosphere. And tonight? They’re out in full force for this historic pay-per-view event.
But it’s not just about the stars in the stands. The fighters bring their own brand of drama, adding to the whirlwind of events. Keeping track of it all can be a dizzying task, even for the most dedicated fight fan.
That’s where MMA Fighting comes in. We’re on the ground, tracking all the special events, celebrity sightings, and fight night odds and ends. Follow along with us below.
10:45 p.m. ET: Arman Tsarukyan‘s pre-fight scuffle. Yup, you read that right. Tsarukyan almost had a fight before his actual fight. On his way to the cage for his bout against Charles Oliveira, Tsarukyan was caught on camera scuffling with some fans. Luckily, security was quick to intervene, pulling Tsarukyan away and defusing the situation. The highly anticipated lightweight fight was saved from jeopardy.
1:50 a.m. ET: Chama, good night. Alex Pereira, this is your world, and we’re just living in it.
1:17 a.m. ET: Jon Jones chimes in. Jones isn’t ready to give up his claim to being the light heavyweight king just yet. Despite currently holding a share of the UFC heavyweight title, Jones made his name at light heavyweight, where he was unbeatable for over a decade. The UFC 300 main event sees 205-pound champion Alex Pereira taking on Jamahal Hill. Hill’s walkout song choice, The Champ is Here by Jadakiss, left Jones puzzled.
Jones tweeted, “Pretty sure I’m in Kansas City at a volleyball tournament.” Hill, a former light heavyweight champion, never actually lost his title in competition. He was forced to relinquish his belt due to an Achilles tear last year, paving the way for Pereira to capture the vacant title. Jones, however, remains confident that he’s still the man to beat in his old division, regardless of who comes out on top tonight.
1:15 a.m. ET: Alexander Volkanovski stunned by Max Holloway’s performance. Despite having beaten “Blessed” three times, Volkanovski couldn’t hide his shock at Holloway’s knockout of Justin Gaethje. Check out Volkanovski’s reaction to the “BMF” title bout finish below.
12:18 a.m. ET: Is Max Holloway the BMF GOAT? Holloway’s knockout of Justin Gaethje might just be the greatest in UFC history. Not only did he snatch Gaethje’s “BMF” title, but he may have cemented himself as the baddest m*********** to ever step into the octagon. His post-fight speech was one for the ages. So, what do you think? Is there a more worthy BMF than Holloway?
12:16 a.m. ET: Even the best couldn’t believe what they saw. If you were blown away by Holloway’s knockout, imagine being cageside for it. Now, imagine being one of the best fighters in the world and still being in shock. Israel Adesanya, Ilia Topuria, and Tom Aspinall were all shown cageside, their expressions of disbelief mirroring those of the fans. Their reactions only add to the legend of Holloway’s finish.
11:20 p.m. ET: Chael Sonnen, UFC Hall of Famer. At last, Chael Sonnen is a UFC Hall of Fame inductee. His epic encounter with Anderson Silva at UFC 117 will be inducted into the Fight Wing of the promotion’s Hall of Fame. Silva was on a 12-fight win streak when he faced Sonnen in August 2010. Sonnen dominated the fight with his grappling, but Silva saved his title reign with a Hail Mary triangle choke, forcing Sonnen to tap out with less than two minutes left in the final round. This fight is widely regarded as one of the most exciting in UFC history.
11:15 p.m. ET: Islam Makhachev calls his shot. After Arman Tsarukyan’s dramatic split decision win over Charles Oliveira, Tsarukyan called for a matchup with Makhachev. The champ seemed to oblige, commenting on social media, “Be ready. See you soon boy.”
11:07 p.m. ET: Bruce Buffer brings the style. Known for his sartorial flair, Buffer didn’t disappoint at UFC 300. He showed off the inside of his jacket, which featured UFC light heavyweight champion and headliner Alex Pereira.
10:42 p.m. ET: A heartfelt homecoming for The Hammer. Mark Coleman, the UFC Hall of Famer, was welcomed home tonight. Prior to the main card bout between Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan, “The Hammer” was given the spotlight as he entered the arena with his daughters McKenzie and Morgan.
10:38 p.m. ET: Iron Mike, The Ice Man, and Bullet in attendance. Three of the most dangerous fighters of all time are in the crowd for UFC 300. Heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson, UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, and former UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko were all shown on camera.
10:14 p.m. ET: Mark Zuckerberg in awe of Alex Pereira. Mark Zuckerberg, one of the world’s richest people, went full fanboy when he met UFC champion Alex Pereira. Pereira meets Jamahal Hill in the UFC 300 main event, and you can bet that Zuckerberg will be cageside cheering “Poatan” on.
10:07 p.m. ET: The champ is here. Aljamain Sterling and Deiveson Figueiredo may have picked up the best bantamweight wins of the night, but 135-pound champion Sean O’Malley might have still stolen the show. “Suga” arrived at the arena in style, rocking a feathery pink coat, flashy jewelry, and a pair of reflective shades.
9:45 p.m. ET: The stars are out for Kayla Harrison. Kayla Harrison didn’t just catch the attention of the matchmakers with her incredible UFC debut, she also had the celebrities rushing to congratulate her backstage. Comedian Theo Von and actor Miles Teller praised Harrison for her performance following the former PFL star’s fantastic submission win over former bantamweight champion Holly Holm.
9:35 p.m. ET: Israel Adesanya has his eyes on Dricus du Plessis. Rivals Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis could be facing off in the octagon soon. For now, they’ll have to settle for being in the same venue. The middleweight stars were shown on-screen at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and Adesanya took the opportunity to let du Plessis know that he has him in his sights, metaphorically speaking.
8:05 p.m. ET: Face the Pain is back. The UFC went all-out for its start to Saturday’s ESPN preliminaries, breaking out the STEMM classic Face the Pain to cap off a fantastic intro video that brought back fond memories of the promotion’s rise in the early 2000s.
9:01 p.m. ET: The Lioness is not impressed. There were several interested parties watching former PFL star Kayla Harrison’s UFC debut, perhaps none more so than retired MMA great Amanda Nunes. “The Lioness” conquered two divisions and ended her career on an unbelievable 14-1 run before retiring this past June. However, according to a reaction she posted on social media, it looks like she is slightly disappointed that Harrison—who dominated Holly Holm to win her first UFC fight—didn’t mention her as a potential opponent in her post-fight speech.
8:23 p.m. ET: Mark Zuckerberg is in the building. Facebook founder, Meta CEO, and all-around rich dude Mark Zuckerberg took a seat cageside at UFC 300.
7:53 p.m. ET: Game respects game, always. Following his impressive submission win over Cody Garbrandt, Deiveson Figueiredo ran into a familiar face backstage: Longtime rival, Brandon Moreno. Despite the intense battles they engaged in, it was all love backstage at T-Mobile Arena.
7:25 p.m. ET: The King vs. The Baddy next? After winning a thrilling and bloody battle with Jim Miller, Bobby Green already has his next opponent in mind: Polarizing UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett.
6:45 p.m. ET: The UFC’s international stars make their presence known. The best of the best from across the globe are in Las Vegas for UFC 300. That list includes interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall (England), two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (New Zealand), and recent bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera (Ecuador).
Joe Rogan gets emotional. Joe Rogan has been one of the voices of the UFC for decades and the popular commentator and podcaster couldn’t help but shed a few tears as the event kicked off.
Drake bets big on “Poatan”. Drake is at it again. No stranger to big wagers on UFC fight, the Canadian rapper announced that he’s thrown a six-figure wager down on Alex Pereira in the hopes of earning a nearly $1.2 million payout.
Sketch lets everyone know UFC has begun, brother. TikToker and Twitch streamer Sketch kicked things off in succinct fashion, dropping his catchphrase to announce the start of UFC 300.
Triple H pays respect to his TKO partners. Triple H is tuned in to UFC 300. The WWE executive and longtime sports entertainment star tweeted his admiration for the UFC, his partner under the TKO umbrella, calling it a “big night,” a “blockbuster card,” and “a milestone event.”