No. 2 UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje said this week the “best case scenario” for him would’ve been to be paired with champion Islam Makhachev in his next bout, but added that his current situation ahead of April’s UFC 300 is an ideal backup option.
The reigning “BMF” titleholder – a belt that essentially signifies who is the most exciting, fan-friendly fighter on the UFC roster – is set for an anticipated scrap with former featherweight champion Max Holloway at the UFC’s upcoming milestone event.
“Second best scenario is I get to fight for it, and that’s the scenario I’m in,” Gaethje told combat sports reporter Kevin Iole when asked about getting the next title shot at 155 pounds. “I get to go in there, I get to stand out, and there’s going to be two contenders coming out that night. So, we’ll see what happens after that.”
Gaethje was referring to Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan, the other prominent 155-pound matchup announced for the UFC 300 card on April 30. The winner of Oliveira-Tsarukyan would also be positioned to potentially fight for the lightweight title in 2024.
Makhachev is expected to return to action in the summer for the first time since knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294 in October. Makhachev won the title at UFC 280 in October 2022 when he submitted Oliveira and also holds a 2019 three-round unanimous decision win over Tsarukyan.
Oliveira defeated Gaethje in May 2022 in their title fight at UFC 274 when Oliveira was champion. Makhachev has never fought Gaethje although Gaethje did fight and lose to Makhachev’s teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 in 2020.
The MMA leader has yet to announce the main event for UFC 300.
“We have a couple options for the main event,” Dana White said this week during an Instagram live chat. “We’re still playing with it. … 300 is going to be the sickest card from top to bottom, it’s (expletive) ridiculous.”
Here are the confirmed bouts for UFC 300 so far:
— Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway (for the BMF title)
— Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan (for the strawweight title)
— Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan
— Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
— Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage
— Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt
— Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
— Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling
— Jim Miller vs. Bobby Green
— Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez
White says Harrison has already made 135 in test cut
Soon after the buzz began to dissipate after this week’s surprise announcement that the UFC had signed Kayla Harrison to fight Holly Holm at UFC 300, the conversation quickly turned to the fact Harrison had signed on to compete at 135 pounds for the first time in her MMA career.
In the same Instagram live mentioned above, White was asked about Harrison’s weight and her joining a new division.
“Kayla Harrison will make 135,” White said. “She’s already done a couple practice cuts. She’s already made 135 a couple times, so yes she will make the weight.”
Harrison has competed the majority of her MMA career at 155 pounds and is 1-0 in the 145-pound featherweight division the UFC has essentially done away with on the women’s side.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist in judo in the 172-pound division, Harrison is 16-1 in MMA and could be vaulted into a title fight should she successfully make weight and emerge from her UFC debut a winner.
Fans go crazy for Du Plessis at airport
The UFC’s newest middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, spent a few extra days in Canada following his title win at UFC 297 in Toronto but returned home this week where he received an ovation upon arriving at O.R. Tambo International Airport in South Africa.
Du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland by split decision to improve to 7-0 in the UFC and potentially set up a future fight with former champion and fellow African-born star Israel Adesanya.
White suggested to reporters following Du Plessis’s latest victory that hosting an event in Africa headlined by an African champion is something the UFC could explore later this year.
PFL, Bellator champions face off one month before event
In non-UFC news, we’re one month away from the anticipated PFL vs. Bellator card that was announced earlier in January. The event is scheduled to take place Feb. 24 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and features three champion-vs.-champion matchups.
The six champions set to participate in those co-headlining bouts were among those at a press conference to promote the event.
PFL heavyweight champ Renan Ferreira faces Bellator’s top heavyweight Ryan Bader; PFL light-heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay is set to fight Bellator’s unbeaten middleweight kingpin Johnny Eblen at 185 pounds; Bellator’s pound-for-pound legend Patricio “Pitbull” Freire meets PFL’s Jesus Pinedo at 145 pounds.
Jason Jackson, Vadim Nemkov, Yoel Romero, Thiago Santos, Clay Collard, A.J. McKee, Aaron Pico and Claressa Shields are among the other notable fighters slated to compete at the event.