Mixed Martial Arts – Pereira KOs Hill to retain UFC light heavyweight title
ExpandingLAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Brazil's Alex Pereira retained his UFC light heavyweight title with a stunning first-round KO win over Jamahal Hill, and Weili Zhang defeated Yang Xiaonan at UFC 300 on Saturday night. He held the straight weight belt.
Pereira shook off what appeared to be a low blow from Hill and delivered a left hook that sent the American flat on his back on the canvas. He then pounced and landed a flurry of blows, forcing a stoppage at the 3:14 mark of the first round.
“I always told everyone, he's a strong guy, he can't get away from his strategy, and that's exactly what I was doing… I was measuring distance and timing and everything was perfect. It went well,” Pereira said in the post. Fight interview inside the cage.
Hill had won the title in January 2023, but was forced out in July due to an injury sustained while playing basketball, and Pereira, a former UFC middleweight champion and decorated kickboxer, lost his title to Jiri Prochaska in November. He won by knockout in the second round and took over the belt.
Pereira, who came out of the fight relatively unscathed, said he wanted to fight on the next UFC card in Brazil in May and said he didn't take any damage from the fight with Hill.
In a showdown between Chinese nationals in the straight weight division, Zhang appeared to nearly end the fight with a rear-naked choke in the first round, but his 34-year-old opponent survived until the bell and returned to the fight with a shaky It was like that. her feet.
Although Yan had some success with his stand-ups, Zhang took the match to the mat as often as possible, dominating the grappling exchanges and earning a unanimous decision victory.
In perhaps the most thrilling finish on the card, Max Holloway folded Justin Gaethje with a brutal right hand, clinching a knockout victory in the lightweight fight with one second remaining after five grueling rounds.
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Miral Fahmy)
