UFC 300 is stacked from top to bottom with amazing match-ups and former and present champs. Everyone is looking to be the star of the night. With so many different storylines afoot, there's room for some unsung heroes of MMA to finally have their time to shine. With a card as jam-packed as it is, there's room for one star to emerge from UFC 300, if they play their cards right. Here are three fighters we think might rise to the occasion.
Kayla Harrison
Former Olympian and PFL champion Kayla Harrison is making her UFC debut on the biggest fight card of the year. She's also coming down to 135 pounds after competing at 155 and 145 pounds and that alone is a huge feat. But she's got the former bantamweight champion in Holly Holm across the cage from her and, if she can do what she does best, Harrison could shock the entirety of the UFC women's roster. Harrison is an athletic specimen and takes her job incredibly seriously. If she can walk into the UFC and finish Holm, she could be champion by the end of 2025. Do not sleep on Harrison.
Cody Garbrandt
Fromer UFC champion Cody Garbrandt has been battling his way back to a title shot since the day he lost it. He's proven time and again that, despite hiccups, he still has punching power and should not be overlooked in the division. He opens the entire card as the first fight of the night versus another champion ... Deiveson Figueiredo. Many fighters, especially a champion, might be offended by opening a card. That time slot is usually reserved for debuting fighters or lower tier match-ups. But on a card like UFC 300, there is no such thing.
“So, 3 p.m. we fight, we open it up – and it also says what the drawing power that I can have to be able to put people in the seats from the first bell," Garbrandt told MMA Junkie. "It’s hard to get there from 3 in the afternoon and stay there until 11. Even myself, I’ve never been to a first fight in the UFC to even watch as a spectator.”
If Garbrandt can put the former champion down he could set a standard for the rest of the card and potentially earn himself a shot at a No. 1 contender fight next.
Cody Brundage
Wait, hear me out for a minute. Yes, Cody Brundage is a +700 underdog versus Bo Nickal. Yes, Nickal is undefeated and the golden child of the UFC. Yes, not a single soul thinks Brundage is going to win this fight. But that's the exact reason why he'll be a star if he does. The UFC 300 card needs a big upset and this would be it. Brundage is no slouch. He won his last fight via a vicious first-round knockout. If he can get close enough to Nickal, he'll be able to test just how good the wrestler's chin actually is. If Brundage can somehow get the win, he'd be the star of the night.
UFC 300 takes place on Saturday, April 13.
Live on DAZN: Check your region for PFL and PFL Europe on DAZN. Click here for details.