LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Brazil’s Alex Pereira pulled off a surprising first-round knockout victory over Jamahal Hill to retain the UFC mild heavyweight title whereas Zhang Weili beat Yan Xiaonan to retain the straweight belt at UFC 300 on Saturday evening.
Pereira waved off what seemed to be a low blow from Hill earlier than touchdown a left hook that despatched the American sprawling backwards onto the canvas. He then pounced to rain down blows and pressure the stoppage on the 3:14 mark of the primary spherical.
“I instructed everybody the entire time, he’s a robust man, I can not go away from my technique, and that’s precisely what I used to be doing … I used to be gauging the gap and the timing, and all the things went completely,” Pereira stated in a post-fight interview within the cage.
Hill had received the title in January 2023, however an damage suffered taking part in basketball compelled him to vacate in July and adorned kickboxer Pereira, a former UFC middleweight champ, took over the belt with a second-round knockout of Jiri Prochazka in November.
After coming by way of the battle comparatively unscathed, Pereira stated he want to battle on the upcoming UFC card in Brazil in Might, and that he had sustained no injury in opposition to Hill.
Within the all-Chinese language conflict within the straweight occasion, Zhang appeared like she had virtually ended the battle within the first spherical with a rear bare choke, however her 34-year-old opponent survived till the bell, wanting unsteady as she received again to her toes.
Yan had some success on her toes, however Zhang introduced the battle to the mat as usually as attainable, dominating the grappling exchanges en path to a unanimous determination victory.
In maybe probably the most thrilling end on the cardboard, Max Holloway folded Justin Gaethje with a thunderous proper hand to win their light-weight battle by knockout with one second left on the clock after an incredible five-round battle.
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; enhancing by Miral Fahmy)
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