MMA Today: UFC 300 Main Event Official, Ilia Topuria Ignites Spain, Ian Garry Still Unbeaten, So-Called "35 Curse”
Welcome back to the second edition of “MMA Today,” where once a week, MMA Knockout’s Zain Bando walks you through all of the latest happenings in combat sports from this past week.
It’s Monday, which means for the third straight week, the UFC took center stage in the combat sports world.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the stories that defined the week of February 17.
UFC 300 Gets Its Main Event
(via USA TODAY Sports)
Just after 1 a.m. ET Sunday night, UFC CEO Dana White finally revealed the long-awaited UFC 300 main event which will pit UFC light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, against former divisional kingpin Jamahal Hill.
Despite the lack of main event star power on April 13 in Las Vegas, as neither man has cracked a million pay-per-view buys in his career thus far, it is the revitalization of a division that once had the sport’s biggest stars. Names like Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Tito Ortiz were featured attractions on some of the UFC’s biggest pay-per-views during the mid-2000s.
In an era of streaming and the instant access of today, Hill’s UFC career was born on ESPN+ in 2020, eventually becoming the first fighter in Dana White Contender Series history to successfully earn a contract and win a UFC world title.
Neither was he the last, as Sean O’Malley joined him last August, winning bantamweight gold.
The bout against Hill is Pereira’s first light heavyweight title defense, as in less than two years, he has already held two belts. "Poatan" can prevent Hill from becoming a two-time champion with a victory in the process.
It may not be Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, nor is it the return of Jon Jones, but it is the highest level MMA can get to. And, for UFC 300, arguably the biggest event in recent memory, that’s all “Unrivaled Greatness” should be about.
Ilia Topuria Makes Spain MMA Relevant
Ilia Topuria knocks out Alexander Volkanovski to win the UFC featherweight title.
(David Yeazell/USA TODAY Sports)
Ilia Topuria shocked the MMA masses in Anaheim Saturday night with a second-round KO of Alexander Volkanovski, whose only previous two UFC losses came to Islam Makhachev.
Topuria’s superior confidence leading up to the fight, which included a then-would-be premature Instagram bio change, didn’t matter.
For the first time in promotional history, Topuria brought the country of Spain a world champion. Given the UFC’s continuous global expansion, it’s no surprise how highly White thinks bringing Topuria would benefit business. Less than 24 hours after the victory, his Instagram has risen to three million followers.
The question remains, however, is whether Volkanovski is deserving of an immediate rematch given two losses in his last three appearances. That’s up to the promotion to decide, but for the time being, Volkanovski needs extended recovery time in the worst way. And, even then, it might not be enough to return to his regular form.
The “35 Curse” Rolls Onward
Alexander Volkanovski held the UFC featherweight title for nearly five years.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports)
Entering UFC 298, a bizarre stat about male fighters competing in title fights emerged, specifically when it came to those over 35 years of age who compete in any division below 170 pounds.
Volkanovski joined that trend, dropping fighters in that age group to 2-24 all-time.
It just goes to show that no matter how good a fighter is, age is a career’s biggest downfall. The jury is still out on whether Volkanovski, who was 11-0 at featherweight from 2019 until the Topuria loss, will experience any similarities.
Ian Garry’s Future is Far From Decided
Ian Garry wins a decision over Geoff Neal at UFC 298.
(Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)
Ian Garry, love him or hate him, became a welterweight contender with a decision win Saturday night.
Garry stifled Geoff Neal’s potent wrestling ability to keep the fight at the Irishman’s distance, utilizing feints, Muay Thai, and boxing. It wasn’t a flashy KO or a bone-crushing highlight submission win, but it got the job done.
With McGregor out of the picture in terms of Irish MMA representation, 2024 could turn into the year of “The Future.”
The depth at welterweight, however, along with the emergence of top contenders, leaves plenty of options for Garry’s next fight. For now, though, future success remains to be seen, as he stayed unbeaten with the victory.
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