UFC 300 LIVE: Start time, card, fight updates and results as Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway star tonight

A guest piece now: Will Castle looks at the rise and fall of Cody Garbrandt, whose bantamweight title win in 2016 was a false dawn for the American.

Garbrandt has struggled in the cage in the years since, and he faces a tough test against former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo tonight.

Those two kick off UFC 300 in a frankly outrageous bout to have as the first prelim. But such is the depth of this card…

In fact, Garbrandt vs Figueiredo is just 30 minutes away, so what better time to dig into this preview than right now?

Some time ago, I spoke to Royce Gracie: the Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend who won UFC 1, becoming the promotion’s first ever champion.

Gracie spoke about that surreal night – the night MMA was born – and much more.

As UFC 300 arrives, let’s look back on UFC 1…

It has almost become a slogan for Charles Oliveira at this point: “I am illuminated by God.” The Brazilian uttered the words more than once during our conversation, and he has uttered them countless times over the past two years.

In fact, it was his only explanation when asked by The Independent how a fighter with such a loose grasp of English could strike such a resonant chord with so many fans worldwide. “I don’t know,” the 34-year-old shrugged, his mouth curling into a smile. Then, with his lips forming a flatter terrain across his face: “I am a guy who is illuminated by God.”

A secular answer would be that Oliveira has a claim to the status of the most exhilarating fighter in UFC history, with more finishes and submissions than any other athlete who has graced the Octagon. Oliveira’s style captivates and combines with some indescribable essence around him to inspire devotion among fans – a devotion bordering on worship.

Oliveira’s own slogan, his mantra perhaps, almost paints the former lightweight champion as the second coming of Christ. The Brazilian’s faith is such that he would hastily dismiss that blasphemous notion, but his current goal is to rise again in the 155lbs division. He craves his old crown. He might even covet it, if that were not a sinful proposition.

Firstly, though, he must get past Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300.

Full, exclusive interview:

Pereira – 4/6; Hill – 6/5

Zhang – 30/100; Yan – 5/2

Gaethje – 4/9; Holloway – 7/4

Oliveira – 7/4; Tsarukyan – 4/9

Nickal – 1/14; Brundage – 6/1

So, you’ve seen the full UFC 300 card (in the post below)… Now here’s our article breaking down EVERY single fight tonight:

Alex Pereira (C) vs Jamahal Hill (light-heavyweight title)

Zhang Weili (C) vs Yan Xiaonan (women’s strawweight title)

Justin Gaethje (C) vs Max Holloway (‘BMF’ title – lightweight)

Charles Oliveira vs Arman Tsarukyan (lightweight)

Bo Nickal vs Cody Brundage (middleweight)

Jiri Prochazka vs Aleksandar Rakic (light-heavyweight)

Calvin Kattar vs Aljamain Sterling (featherweight)

Holly Holm vs Kayla Harrison (women’s bantamweight)

Sodiq Yusuff vs Diego Lopes (featherweight)

Jalin Turner vs Renato Moicano (lightweight)

Jessica Andrade vs Marina Rodriguez (women’s strawweight)

Bobby Green vs Jim Miller (lightweight)

Deiveson Figueiredo vs Cody Garbrandt (bantamweight)

The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. Discovery+ will also air the action in the UK. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the event live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass.

UFC 300 is set to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas tonight.

The early prelims are due to begin at 11pm BST (3pm PT / 5pm CT / 6pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am BST tomorrow (5pm PT / 7pm CT / 8pm ET tonight). The main card is then scheduled for 3am BST tomorrow (7pm PT / 9pm CT / 10pm ET tonight).

In the main event, former middleweight champion Alex Pereira defends the light-heavyweight title against his predecessor Jamahal Hill, who vacated the belt due to injury last year. Beforehand, in the co-main event, Zhang Weili puts her strawweight gold on the line against Yan Xiaonan, in the first all-Chinese title fight in UFC history.