Pereira retains light heavyweight title with 1st-round KO of Hill
LAS VEGAS — Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who trains at Teixeira MMA and Fitness in Bethel, knocked out top-ranked challenger Jamahal Hill at 3:14 of the first round in UFC 300 on Saturday night.
Pereira dropped Hill to the canvas with a straight left hand and then pounded him. Referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight, giving the Brazilian the victory.
Pereira, 36, was a minus-132 favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
“I see myself as the champion. I didn't want to let the belt go to my head," Pereira said through an interpreter. "I had to step in and win the championship.”
Hill, 32, was the previous title holder, but a torn Achilles tendon forced him to vacate the championship last
July. That put the belt in Pereira's hands, eventually setting up this matchup and is fourth pay-per-view event in 16 months.
As would be expected from a milestone card number, this was a strong lineup that included 12 current or former champions, and 11 have headlined UFC payper-view events.
Zhang Weili (25-3) retained her women's strawweight championship in the co-main event, beating No. 1 challenger Yan Xiaonan (18-4) by unanimous decision. Each judge scored the fight 49-45.
Zhang nearly choked out Yan to end the first round. Yan, however, found a way to take the fight the fiveround distance.
“She bounced back very quickly,” Zhang said through an interpreter.
In perhaps the night's most anticipated fight, Max Holloway (26-7) delivered a devastating right to knock out Justin Gaethje (25-5) with 1 second left in the fiveround BMF title fight.
Holloway, who also used a spinning kick at the end of the first round to bloody Gaethje's nose, was in control throughout most of the fight for the ceremonial title belt.
Even though Holloway was well on his way to a victory by decision — two judges had him ahead 3937 — the former featherweight champion pointed to the floor in the final seconds and then traded blows with Gaethje, a tremendous combination of punches from both fighters before the one that sent the now ex-BMF champ to the mat.
No. 4 lightweight challenger Arman Tsarukyan (22-3) won by split decision over top-ranked challenger and former champion Charles Oliveira (34-10). Each scorecard was 29-28, two in favor of Tsarukyan.