Post-UFC 299 questions — Biggest winners, stars on upset alert, more،
With the conclusion of UFC 299, MMA's premier promotion now turns its attention to what is expected to be its biggest fight card of the year, UFC 300, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 13. But there's still plenty of action. to look forward to ahead of the UFC's next pay-per-view event, including Bellator MMA's first event since its acquisition by the PFL late last year.
Brett Okamoto, Jeff Wagenheim and Ian Parker highlight the best performances from UFC 299 before looking at upcoming MMA events and giving some advice to UFC lightweight Michael Chandler, who is still waiting to book a fight against Conor McGregor.
Outside of the main event, which UFC 299 fighter had the best win of the night?
Okamoto: Poirier is the obvious answer, but I want to highlight Kyler Phillips though. Phillips also flies under the radar. He only has two defeats: one by split decision, the other by majority decision. He has a victory over Song Yadong. And Saturday's performance against Pedro Munhoz was a revelation. He makes things happen. Phillips has been in the UFC since he was 24 and has been unsuccessful in a few fights, but the talent has always been there. Now he's putting it together at 28 years old. He is a breakout candidate this year.
Parker: Poirier scored the best victory of the evening. “The Diamond” took a huge risk with this fight, and not only did he prevail, but he did so in legendary fashion. A devastating loss could have sent Poirier into retirement, but his superhero performance in the win over Benoît Saint Denis could have put him back in the title shot conversation.
Wagenheim: What an abundance of choices, from veteran contenders who are reasserting themselves (Poirier, Petr Yan) to emerging prospects who are giving wings to their careers (Jack Della Maddalena, Maycee Barber). But there's nothing more telling than a first impression, and two UFC newbies made memorable entrances. Early in the preliminaries, 2012 Olympic taekwondo bronze medalist Robelis Despaigne displayed unprecedented agility for a heavyweight, knocking out Josh Parisian while in rapid retreat and off-balance. And he did it in 18 seconds. Later, Michael “Venom” Page showed that the flashy skills he displayed for years in Bellator transferred well to the Octagon, dismantling Kevin Holland and putting on a show. I guess I'm not the only one looking forward to seeing more of MVP and Despaigne.
Looking ahead to UFC 300, which main card betting favorite should be on alert?
Parker: Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. Pereira is a talented striker, but he leaves his hands low and doesn't have a good wrestling game. Jamahal Hill has the speed, power and athleticism to pull off the main event upset and regain the title he never lost.
Wagenheim: Arman Tsarukyan has won eight of his last nine fights, and the most recent of those victories was his best yet, knocking out top-five finisher Beneil Dariush in just over a minute. Still, I don't understand why Tsarukyan is preferred over Charles Oliveira, a former champion and winner of 12 of his last 13 fights, the only loss being to current champion Islam Makhachev. Like Tsarukyan, Oliveira owns a first-round knockout over Dariush, and over the last three years he has also knocked out Justin Gaethje, Poirier and Chandler. Tsarukyan has never faced an assassin feud like this. I think he and those who bet on him might be in for a rude awakening.
Okamoto: I will also go with Tsarukyan. Stylistically, a lot favors Tsarukyan over Oliveira. He has the courage to undo some of Oliveria's actions on the ground. He has youth but is also relatively experienced, having only fought in the UFC since 2019. He has stopping power. Tsarukyan is a hard worker and he is part of a good camp in American Top Team, so he will be ready to go. But it's Charles Oliveira, man. This is exactly the kind of situation in which Oliveira has excelled in recent years. We know that Oliveira shows up when he finds himself in adversity and under duress. If Tsarukyan finds himself in a bad position in the biggest moment of his career, how will he react? We don't know the answer yet.
Which fight at one of the four UFC Fight Nights between UFC 299 and UFC 300 are you most looking forward to?
Wagenheim: Erin Blanchfield versus Manon Fiorot by a mile. What drives my interest in a fight is what's at stake, and this March 30 main event is almost certain to elevate the winner to a women's flyweight title shot. But there's a difference: With champion Alexa Grasso and ex-champion Valentina Shevchenko set to become coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter” and then face off in a trilogy bout afterward, the Blanchfield-Fiorot winner will have to wait . And if it comes to Blanchfield, the delay could dash any hopes the 24-year-old has of becoming the youngest woman to win a UFC championship (currently, 25-year-old Rose Namajunas). Knowing Blanchfield's confidence, I suspect she'd happily be content to simply win gold whenever the day came.
Okamoto: Easily Blanchfield against Fiorot. Big place. Great clash of styles. Both are so good at what they do that either will be a potential problem for the Grasso-Shevchenko winner. Both are at their peak. However, I will not abandon the one who loses; they will have plenty of time to get back to a title fight. I also prefer a Fight Night which is not inside the Apex.
Parker: Blanchfield versus Fiorot is the most relevant. This fight will give us a title contender and a new face fighting for the title, after Grasso and Shevchenko settle some unfinished business.
Who leaves Belfast with the Bellator light heavyweight and featherweight titles?
Wagenheim: Corey Anderson and Jeremy Kennedy. Anderson because I honestly have never laid eyes on Karl Moore, who has had four Bellator fights but only one on a main card. And Kennedy because everyone loves an upset and Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, loser of two fights in a row, is 36 and ripe for one.
Okamoto: I think it's finally Anderson's time. He had Vadim Nemkov on the verge of losing in 2022, before an unlucky clash of heads decided the contest was a draw, and then he lost the rematch. But the light heavyweight title is now within his reach. And I'll still take “Pitbull” here, despite his 0-2 skid. Kennedy delivered the best performance of his career, but Freire remains the man to beat.
Parker: There's no doubt in my mind it's Anderson. Anderson has competed with the best in the world in the UFC and Bellator. He is the best fighter no matter where the fight takes place. I'm leaning toward “Pitbull” here in the featherweight title fight, but only slightly. Kennedy is not a big name, but he is a complete fighter. However, he has never had a main event at a major organization. Meanwhile, Freire does this regularly.
Bonus: If you could give Michael Chandler any advice on what to do in 2024, what would it be?
Parker: Wait a little longer. I still have some confidence that Chandler vs. Conor McGregor will be the main event at UFC 303 for International Fight Week. If it gets past this point, I think Chandler should campaign for a fight against Nate Diaz. This is another big name, winnable fight for him, and he will maintain his exciting fighting style. Otherwise, at this point, wait for the big payday.
Wagenheim: Find a new hobby that's more fulfilling than following McGregor around. Since Chandler always ends his mic time with “See you at the summit,” maybe he should take up mountaineering. And when he reaches the top and sees a Zen master sitting in the lotus position, he may ask for insight into this koan: What is the sound of a man fighting?
Okamoto: He's waited so long… I'll tell him to keep waiting. Who will he go to? What match is he refusing while waiting for McGregor? If there was an obvious opponent – if he hadn't already fought Gaethje and could aim for a BMF title, or face Poirier in a setting like Miami, yes, I'd tell him to take one. But he has already fought the biggest names at 155 years old. As crazy as it sounds, wait until 2024. If it doesn't happen this year, I don't know if he'll have any choice but to move on.
