True or False: UFC 299 is better than UFC 300
- UFC 299 is headlined by Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera
- UFC 300 is headlined by Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill
- Which card is better overall?
By Joe O’Grady
The UFC has been on an incredible run as of late. Between exciting fight nights and stacked pay-per-view cards, the worldwide MMA leader has been at the top of their game recently. This is no more evident than with the next two pay-per-views, UFC 299 and UFC 300 respectively. Without a doubt, both events are absolutely loaded with fan-friendly matchups with massive stakes attached to nearly every bout.
While most are thrilled with the current product, some were expecting a little bit more, specifically with the highly anticipated UFC 300 taking place in April. From early prelims to the main event, there is a legitimate argument that it may be the most complete card ever assembled. Where the problem lies for some members of the MMA community is in the fact that it doesn't quite feel special enough.
Whispers of a possible Conor McGregor return, a Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya rivalry matchup, or an early injury comeback for Jon Jones set the expectations at an all-time high for the marquee event. Instead, the card will be headlined by Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill, who will be competing for the UFC light heavyweight title. It's a great fight but again lacking the superstar drawing power of Jones or McGregor.
UFC 299 is a superior card but UFC 300 isn't bad either
This has led to many discussions revolving around whether UFC 299 is actually better than UFC 300. It seems unthinkable that a fight card only a month before one of the most hyped events in company history would be looked at as the better pay-per-view. However, when comparing the two events, it is clear that UFC 299 is superior.
Though both events are talent-loaded from top-to-bottom, UFC 299 has more to offer in terms of fight intrigue. The O'Malley vs. Vera rematch has been years in the making and with two fighters who prefer to keep the fight standing, will surely deliver.
UFC 299 will also represent the debut event for Michael "Venom" Page who is facing off against Kevin Holland - another incredible fight. This is also not to mention Dustin Poirier's matchup with Benoît Saint-Denis in a five-round co-main event that has massive title picture implications in the lightweight division. These are only three of the fights. The event is so talent-stacked that the UFC could take the preliminary fights and put on an additional fight night that would be well worth watching.
This holds true for UFC 300 as well, however, the difference is the edge 299 has for the main card of fights. Take the five to seven best fights at UFC 299 and compare them to the five to seven best at UFC 300, the difference is minimal at best, but UFC 299 holds the upper hand.
UFC president Dana White certainly held true to his promises of making UFC 300 a must-watch with every fight having some degree of importance to the greater picture of the promotion. With the card apparently being kicked off with Deiveson Figueiredo taking on Cody Garbrandt, the top-to-bottom depth may be unmatched in the history of the company, but in terms of the best handful of fights and main card appeal, UFC 299 is better.
The overall star power of the two fight cards is comparable, with maybe a slight edge to UFC 300, but the matchmaking for UFC 299 is nearly perfect and every fight has true Fight of the Night potential.
Maybe it's due to the fact that the UFC has been putting on great event after great event for a while now or maybe it's the lack of a jaw-dropping main event, but with the (potentially unrealistic) expectations for the UFC 300 main event not being satisfied for many, both cards feel similar, and without the glamour of the UFC 300 billing, it doesn't stand out ahead of the pay-per-view a month prior.