Significant Stats | UFC 300: Pereira vs Hill

Key Stats: 62% significant strike accuracy (4th all-time), 5 strikes landed per minute, 3.65 strikes absorbed per minute

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What It Means: “Poatan” is at once one of the most devastating and technical kickboxers to ever step into the Octagon. Pereira is a massive man whose explosiveness and timing makes the most of his hulking 6-foot-4 frame. Although he stands orthodox, his best strike is his sweeping left hook, which lands with fight-ending power whether he is moving forward or backward. That said, his low leg kicks might be the most important strike to his arsenal. He flips it out there with little-to-no telegraph but to great effect, and he builds many of his combinations off that strike. Pereira is at his most dangerous when he starts to cut the Octagon off and close the distance, picking his shots with intelligence and good finishing instincts. 

Jamahal Hill

Key Stats: +3.72 striking differential (7th all-time), 6.99 strikes landed per minute (2nd all-time among LHW), 52.8 significant strike accuracy (7th)

What It Means: The first UFC champion to come from Dana White’s Contender Series, Hill is an ultra-confident, ultra-powerful presence at light heavyweight. Hill has an innate sense of timing and precision with his strikes, especially with his left straight, which has fight-ending impact. “Sweet Dreams” has great body and high kicks with his left leg, as well, but he does well to set up the attacks before blasting his opponent with that weapon. Hill also has good upper-body mobility that allows him to pull and slip shots before landing a counter. When he is moving forward, Hill does a really good job of mixing in knees and elbows in the middle of combinations. He also operates pretty well when he switches to an orthodox stance.

UFC 300 COUNTDOWN: Full Episode | Pereira vs Hill | Zhang vs Yan | Gaethje vs Holloway 

What to Look For in the Fight: UFC 300’s main event should be a fight mostly contested on the feet, although Hill has shown some proficiency in wrestling. That said, it’s expected the two will stand and trade. Pereira is the more technical striker, but he can be vulnerable once drawn into a firefight, and Hill has the kind of fight-changing power to get the job done. Pereira will likely start with low kicks, and how Hill counters in his first fight since January 2023 is key. He won’t have much time to get his bearings, but Hill is gritty and doesn’t mind making a fight a bit grimy on the inside. 

Co-Main Event: Zhang Weili vs Yan Xiaonan

Zhang Weili

Key Stats: +2.5 striking differential (3rd all-time among WSW), 5.94 strikes landed per minute (4th all-time among WSW), 19 takedowns landed (tied 6th all-time among WSW)

RELATED: The History Of Chinese Fighters in The UFC 

What It Means: “Magnum” is a rock solid mixed martial artist to go along with her explosive athleticism, making her one of the most difficult puzzles to solve in the Octagon. On her feet, Zhang is light on her feet and almost always throws in a flurry, especially when her opponent begins the exchange. She has good lead leg kicks as well as rear kicks, and she rarely throws less than two punches in combination. Zhang also has good timing on takedowns and maintains top control well while dishing out some damage and working for submissions. 

Yan Xiaonan

Key Stats: +1.99 striking differential (5th all-time among WSW), 5.55 strikes landed per minute (7th all-time among WSW), 61.9% significant strike defense (5th all-time among WSW)

What It Means: Yan is mainly a striker who is light on her feet and has great distance management. She is a difficult target to find for her opponents, displaying good speed and footwork on the outside, but she stays busy striking, as well. Her lead leg kicks are an effective way to maintain her range, and she builds from there. She has shown good power with her hands, even moving backward, and her defensive grappling has greatly improved as well.

RELATED: Yan Xiaonan's Journey To The Title Shot

What to Look For in the Fight: In the first all-China title fight, Zhang and Yan should engage a furious and fast-paced bout. Zhang is likely to be the aggressor from the outset whether it comes with strikes or with grappling. It’s expected that Zhang will test Yan’s grappling early as she has struggled with that in the past, but if this fight plays out on the feet, Yan will rely on her range management and quickness on the outside to pull Zhang into something as she pressures forward. Zhang has more finishes to her record, so it’s understood that she likely presents more fight-ending threats, but Yan does have all the technique in the world to get the job done inside five rounds. Both women have also shown great cardio deep into fights. 

Other Fights to Watch (Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira vs Arman Tsarukyan)

Justin Gaethje

Key Stats: 7.35 strikes landed per minute (2nd all-time among LW), 60.3% significant strike accuracy (2nd all-time among LW), 12 total fight night bonuses (tied 8th all-time)

RELATED: The History Of The BMF Title

What It Means: “All-action fighter” gets thrown around a bit liberally, but that descriptor should be reserved for Justin Gaethje. “The Highlight” is a picture-perfect technical brawler. Although he is known for his knockout power, Gaethje’s leg kicks are arguably his best weapon. He throws them hard, often and from almost any distance. From there, he likes to build up his opponent’s body. He has a beautiful and powerful left hook as well as a nice uppercut with his right hand that he can time well when his opponent throws their left hand. Gaethje also has some wrestling prowess, but he rarely taps that well. 

Max Holloway

Key Stats: 3,197 significant strikes landed (1st all-time), 7.1 strikes landed per minute (3rd all-time among FW), 11 total fight night bonuses (tied 10th all-time)

What It Means: “Blessed” is nonstop action personified. The Hawaiian and former featherweight champion is an exhaustive opponent, constantly pressuring forward, switching stances and peppering opponents with strikes. Holloway’s boxing is famously sharp, and he does well to work his foe’s body in the middle of combinations. He doesn’t kick quite as much as he used to earlier in his career, but he still employs quick low kicks and a beautiful spinning back kick to his opponent’s body. Holloway’s best weapons will always be his cardio, volume and legendary durability.

MORE BMF: Justin Gaethje Loves The Unknowns Of Fighting | Max Holloway Just Wants To Build His Legacy 

What to Look For in the Fight: The third BMF title fight lives up to the moniker beautifully. Gaethje carries more fight-ending power, and if anyone can crack Holloway’s granite chin, it’s Gaethje, but “The Highlight” will be best served sticking to his low kicks early. Holloway has shown a vulnerability to that attack in the past, and few throw them better than Gaethje. Holloway will have to close the distance and keep the pressure on Gaethje early in hopes of slowing those attacks, but he’ll have to be wary of the danger coming his way, as well. Gaethje can end a fight in a blink, and Holloway is very hittable. Expect Holloway to keep the volume high, especially when in the pocket, and manage distance otherwise. Holloway has the cardio advantage against almost everyone he fights, and even though Gaethje is as durable as they come, he can wear down just a little bit, which is all Holloway needs to overwhelm anyone.  

Charles Oliveira

Key Stats: 20 finishes (1st all-time), 19 total fight night bonuses (1st all-time), 40 submission attempts (2nd all-time)

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What It Means: Few fighters have brought more electrifying moments to the Octagon more consistently in the last five years than “Do Bronxs.” As he climbed the lightweight ladder, Oliveira showed himself to be a complete mixed martial artist with a hard-forged mental toughness that made him an absolute problem. His ability to snatch submissions from any position is second-to-none. On the feet, he is in his opponent’s face, and his striking is technically sharp. He has long punches, sharp knees and elbows, and a great diversity in his attack. He can throw with little worry of getting taken down, so his strikes are quite powerful and stunning.  

Arman Tsarukyan

Key Stats: 3.4 takedowns averaged per 15 minutes, 36% takedown accuracy, +1.94 striking differential (5th)

What It Means: Technique for technique, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a sharper mixed martial artist than Arman Tsarukyan. The newest member of the lightweight elite is an exhaustive grappler, but he has the skills and physicality to pose real threats on the feet as well, and he continues to improve at a rapid rate. He is an explosive wrestler who hustles to each position, chaining together takedowns and maintaining control well throughout a scramble. On the feet, he stays light and likes to blast kicks, but he does mix in knees and punches well too. 

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What to Look For in the Fight: While this fight is going to be a battle in each area, Tsarukyan is best-served testing Oliveira’s defensive wrestling. It’ll put Tsarukyan in danger of Oliveira’s submissions, but Tsarukyan comes off as a fighter confident in his abilities to navigate those waters. That said, playing into Oliveira’s bread-and-butter hasn’t worked for anyone not named Islam Makhachev the last few years. On the feet, Tsarukyan might be a little sharper, and Oliveira does often take damage before rallying for a win, so he could keep Oliveira on the back foot if he is smart in the striking realm. Oliveira has had great success attacking opponents’ bodies with knees when they enter, and he shows great timing on those. That could prove to be a pivotal weapon against a wrestling-inclined fighter like Tsarukyan.