"I really thought Islam Makhachev would be there" - Combat sports analyst Brian Campbell explains why UFC 300 "might not live up to the expectations"

By Umar

Modified Jan 22, 2024 13:37 GMT

UFC lightweight champion and No.1 pound-for-pound fighter Islam Makhachev will not feature on the historic UFC 300 card on April 13.

Combat sports analyst Brian Campbell discussed Makhachev's exclusion and what it means for the upcoming card during a recent interview with From The Stands.

He mentioned his own surprise at Makhachev not being booked for the card:

“I expect a very deep card but my fear as we get closer as we’re all trying to do the math… You know, there’s a lot of problems right now. I thought, with the fact that it was a limited cupboard based on the recent schedule and who we know is fighting after, I really thought Islam Makhachev would be there and I thought it would be Charles Oliveira. And now to see, Luke Thomas reminded me of the potential of Ramadan but I think maybe Islam’s injured and that’s why we’re seeing these other matchups."

Campbell then speculated about other major fights that could still elevate the card to a similar level as its predecessors, UFC 100 and UFC 200, including surprise returns from Georges St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov:

"But if that’s not even the case then, I mean is it going to be Tom Aspinall against Pereira? Which is some dream matchup fans have cooked up. I mean, Gaethje and Holloway for the BMF, I’ve thrown around some ideas that I feel like involves the type of names that could save this card… Not that this card will suck but that it maybe won’t live up to the expectations of what you think UFC 300 would be. UFC 100 had star power, UFC 200 had depth and star power. Who the hell else are we going to get? Unless they’ve got a crazy GSP-sized rabbit or Khabib gonna defy his late father’s wishes.”

Check out his full comments below (28:10):

Islam Makhachev reveals his three-fight plan

Islam Makhachev had outlined his own plans for his next three fights in a recent post on X.

After Dana White confirmed in an announcement video that Makhachev will not feature on the UFC 300 card, Makhachev unveiled his plans. He named three opponents that he could potentially take on in two appearances this year.

In his post, Makhachev named Justin Gaethje and the winner between Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan. All three fighters will feature at UFC 300.