The Mixed Martial Arts Hour is back in your life! Below is a rundown of Friday’s special show, which begins at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. UK time.
Join Ariel Helwani, The MMA Hour crew, and special guests Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker, Mark Coleman and more as they talk UFC 300, official weigh-ins for Saturday’s event, the UFC’s equipment presentation, and more live from Las Vegas.
For the latest episodes of The MMA Hour, subscribe on Spotify or iTunes.
After a 25-minute war with Brendan Allen, Chris Curtis believes his controversial split decision loss came down to 15 seconds of bad optics.
By all accounts, ‘The Action Man’ was on his way to a victory over ‘All In’ in the UFC Vegas 90 headliner. Then suddenly, disaster struck with only seconds on the clock as Curtis suffered an injury to his leg. That allowed Allen to unleash a last-second flurry that likely swayed the decision in his favor.
“Optically, I thought there were a lot of exchanges that I was winning,” Curtis said in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview with Mike Owens. “I feel I’m doing more damage. Responding less. I was pushing the fight more. I felt like I was being the aggressor.
“From what I’ve heard from a lot of people is that in the fifth round, I was up. I was winning and when my hamstring went out, it presented a really bad picture. He threw a flurry at the end, but nothing landed. I got hit in the shoulder with a knee. I didn’t get hurt or anything, but from an optics perspective, I’m the guy on the fence surviving now.“
“I think the optics of 15 seconds outdid the 4:45 which kinda sucks,” Curtis added. “It’s not how you want it to go, but you don’t control the judges and the judges are going to default to what they see most of the time. These guys are making what, $ 300 a f*cking [show]. They’re not experts in this usually. It just sucks, but optics play a huge part and it sucks to lose on 15 seconds of bad optics.”
Chris Curtis maintains his top 15 ranking following questionable loss
Instead of moving into the middleweight top ten with a win, Curtis continues to cling to his spot as the No. 14 ranked contender in the division.
‘The Action Man’ also revealed the gruesome details regarding his hamstring injury, including a potential timeline for return, which you can read all about right here.
Watch the full exclusive interview with Chris Curtis below:
Alex Pereira will step on the scale at UFC 300 weigh-ins Friday. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
At the UFC 300 official weigh-ins, all 26 fighters on Saturday’s fight card will step on the scale early Friday morning in Las Vegas. Watch a live stream of the official weigh-ins above.
In the main event, UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill will have to hit 205 pounds for the title showdown.
In the co-main event, UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan have to step on the scale at 115 pounds or lower for their showdown.
The UFC 300 official weigh-ins will start at 12 p.m. ET.
The UFC 300 ceremonial weigh-ins will begin at 7 p.m. ET.
Still can’t sleep? Watch history-making fights (again)!
As UFC 300 approaches this weekend (Sat., April 13, 2024) in Las Vegas, Nevada, it’s crucial to revisit another monumental pay-per-view (PPV) event in the promotion’s history: UFC 200. Taking place on July 9, 2016, UFC 200 was a landmark occasion that featured some of the biggest names in the sport.
Literally.
At the heart of UFC 200 was a highly-anticipated rematch between bitter rivals, Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier, for UFC’s Light Heavyweight championship. However, just days before the event, Jones was pulled from the fight because of a potential anti-doping violation, casting a shadow over the event. In his place, Anderson Silva — a former Middleweight champion and mixed martial arts (MMA) legend — stepped up on short notice to face Cormier in a non-title bout. Despite the circumstances, Cormier delivered a dominant performance, out-classing Silva over three rounds to secure a unanimous decision victory.
Another highlight of UFC 200 was the women’s Bantamweight title fight between Miesha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes. Tate — coming off a stunning upset victory over Holly Holm to claim the title (watch highlights) — faced a tough challenge in “Lioness,” a ferocious striker known for her knockout power. In a back-and-forth battle, Nunes proved to be the superior fighter, overwhelming Tate with her aggressive striking and securing a first-round submission victory to capture the women’s Bantamweight belt.
It was great.
In addition, UFC 200 featured a Heavyweight clash between Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Hunt in a bout that marked Lesnar’s return to the Octagon after a five-year hiatus. Despite concerns about Lesnar’s layoff and Hunt’s formidable striking, Lesnar showcased his trademark wrestling dominance, controlling the fight with his grappling en route to a unanimous decision victory.
And a lengthy court battle.
Outside of the marquee matchups, UFC 200 also saw several memorable moments, including a thrilling Featherweight bout between Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar for the interim title, which “Scarface” won via unanimous decision.
Despite last-minute changes and insane setbacks, the event delivered unforgettable moments and showcased the talent and determination of the athletes involved. Looking ahead to UFC 300, fans can expect another electrifying showcase of world-class MMA talent and thrilling matchups.
Leaps and bounds better than UFC 200?
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 300 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 300: “Pereira vs. Hill” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
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