Nothing divides MMA fans more than picking an all-time best of anything. Everything in this sport is subjective and some fans will have emotional attachments to specific events, fighters, or moments in UFC history. But we can probably all agree that UFC 300 is a stacked card that could go down in history as the best the UFC has ever seen.
But there are some all-time great fight cards that UFC 300 will have to compete with before anyone can dub it the best of all time.
Here are three we think hold up to the test of time and delivered in ways UFC 300 can only dream of.
UFC 189: Chad Mendes vs. Conor McGregor
Jose Aldo was supposed to fight Conor McGregor during UFC International Fight Week 2015 but was forced out of the event just two weeks before due to an injury.
In his place was Chad Mendes and the UFC interim featherweight title was on the line. Normally, when a fight, especially a main event title fight, falls through, the event suffers. But that wasn't the case with UFC 189.
In fact, many fans believe UFC 189 is the best event in UFC history. On the card there were two impressive flying knees, to build up the tension to the co-main event fight between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald. Their fight remains one of the best in UFC history due to the incredible pace, Lawler's ripped upper lip, the fourth-round staredown, and the eventual finish. And that was just the co-main event.
After that, the UFC had a first - a live performance by Sinead O’Connor singing “The Foggy Dew” as McGregor made the walk to a packed mostly Irish crowd. McGregor would go on to finish Mendes in the second round to earn his first UFC title.
UFC 194: Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor
We mentioned the failed fight between Aldo and McGregor above and the second fight on our list is when they finally fought. At this point, McGregor was the interim champion but many fans were calling his win over Mendes a lucky break. No one gave him a shot to defeat Aldo, the reigning king.
But at UFC 194 in December 2015 not only did McGregor win, but he shocked the world with the fastest knockout in UFC history (at the time) and the fastest in a UFC title fight. There was another shocker on the card as well. Luke Rockhold defeated the long reigning middleweight champion Chris Weidman. Two best-of lists featuring McGregor cannot be a coincidence.
UFC 249: Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje
This might be a bit of a dark horse for this list but that's what makes it special. Part of what made this event so magical was the fact that it happened at all. The fights took place smack dab in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and were held in an empty arena in Jacksonville, FL. Anytime someone complains about the empty UFC APEX, remind them how many barnburners we had with no fans.
The card was supposed to be headlined by a doomed match-up between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson but Nurmagomedov refused to break COVID protocol and stayed home with his father who died just two months later of COVID-19 complications.
But the show went on without Khabib and in his place Justin Gaethje filled in, winning the interim title in a five-round war. Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone both appeared, delivering vintage fight goodness and Henry Cejudo successfully defended his bantamweight title in the co-main event.
UFC 300 will have a lot to live up to.
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