Pereira retains light heavyweight title with 1st-round KO of Hill at UFC 300 – Orange County Register

By MARK ANDERSON (AP Sports Editor)

LAS VEGAS — Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira knocked out top-ranked challenger Jamahal Hill at 3:14 of the first round at UFC 300 on Saturday night.

Pereira dropped Hill to the canvas with a straight left hand, then punched him. Referee Herb Dean intervened to stop the fight, giving the victory to the Brazilian.

Pereira, 36, was a minus-132 favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

“I consider myself the champion. I didn’t want to let the belt go to my head,” Pereira said through an interpreter. “I had to step up and win the championship.”

Hill, 32, was the previous title holder, but a torn Achilles tendon forced him out of the championship last July. This put the belt in Pereira’s hands, ultimately setting up this match and the fourth pay-per-view event in 16 months.

As you would expect from a marquee card issue, this was a strong lineup featuring 12 current or former champions, and 11 headlined UFC pay-per-view events.

Zhang Weili (25-3) retained her women’s strawweight championship in the co-main event, defeating No. 1 challenger Yan Xiaonan (18-4) by unanimous decision. Each judge scored the fight 49-45.

Zhang nearly choked out Yan to end the first round. Yan, however, found a way to take the fight to a five-round distance.

“She bounced back very quickly,” Zhang said through an interpreter.

In perhaps the most anticipated fight of the evening, Max Holloway (26-7) delivered a devastating right to knock out Justin Gaethje (25-5) with 1 second left in the five-round BMF title fight.

Holloway, who also used a spinning kick late in the first round to bloody Gaethje’s nose, was in control for most of the ceremonial title belt fight.

Even though Holloway was on track for a decision victory – two judges gave him a 39-37 lead – the former featherweight champion pointed to the ground in the final seconds then exchanged blows with Gaethje, a formidable combination of punches from both fighters. before the one who sent the now ex-BMF champion to the mat.

No. 4 lightweight challenger Arman Tsarukyan (22-3) won by split decision against top-ranked challenger and former champion Charles Oliveira (34-10). Each score was 29-28, two in favor of Tsarukyan.

“I thought all the judges were going to give me the decision,” Tsarukyan said.

Three-time NCAA wrestling champion Bo Nickal (6-0) led the five-fight main card by submitting Cody Brundage (10-6) by rear-naked choke at 3:38 of the second round.

“I’m a little embarrassed by this performance because I expected to go out there and completely dominate,” Nickal said.

One of the most notable matchups on the undercard took place between U.S. two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo Kayla Harrison and International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Holly Holm.

Harrison (17-1), who made his UFC debut, dominated Holm (15-7). She won the bantamweight bout by submission with a rear naked choke at 1:47 of the second round.

Retired champion Amanda Nunes posted a video of herself on social media listening to Harrison in the cage and wondering why she hadn’t mentioned her by name.

“I didn’t call Amanda’s name because Amanda is not the UFC champion,” Harrison said. “I thought she was happy in retirement. I would love to win the UFC title, and if Amanda wants to come back, I would welcome her with open arms.