Israel Adesanya is backing Jamahal Hill to KO his old nemesis Alex Pereira before fourth round, but Alexander Volkanovski tips champion to defend belt... as fighters predict UFC 300 main event

On paper, the UFC 300 headliner should provide the kind of fireworks befitting the tricentenary card in Las Vegas this Saturday night. 

Both Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill are frightening knockout artists and it would be a major surprise if both men were to see out the 25 minutes. 

Hill was champion before having to relinquish the belt due to his Achilles injury, a vacant title claimed by Pereira against Jiri Prochazka. 

The bookmakers have Pereira as a narrow favourite but it is always revealing to see how fellow top UFC fighters past and present are predicting the fight. 

Interestingly, the majority of them are going with the underdog, including Michael Bisping, who said on his YouTube channel: 'I believe Alex Pereira loses the belt on this one. 

'It's going to go down on the feet. Alex Pereira is a better striker, I said this, but Jamahal Hill isn't intimidated, I think he hits harder and I think he can take a better shot than most of Alex's opponents. 

'I think Jamahal Hill within five rounds is going to drop Alex Pereira, put him to sleep, get the knockout and reclaim the light-heavyweight championship of the world.'

Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker concurred on FREESTYLEBENDER, with Pereira's nemesis, who eventually beat him last April having lost their first three encounters in kickboxing and MMA, predicting how it will play out. 

He said: 'This fight Alex is going to try and kick Jamahal's legs, I don't think that's a secret. Jamahal I don't think is scared. Jamahal has KO power, scary KO power as well. Alex can get knocked out.

'Something Jamahal said, who has Pereira out-classed in a fight before he's knocked them out? That's why I knew I could beat this guy. 

'Jamahal made the point that he's beatable and I've proven it. He's going to try and touch him at some point, avoiding the leg kicks is the tricky bit so I hope Jamahal has some remedies for that. I'm going to go with Jamahal by KO in the first two-and-a-half rounds.'

Hooker added: 'Stylistically with the low kicks, Alex will be hard for Jamahal to deal with, he's already made fun about it on TikTok. 

'You can't come out and make fun of the low kicks and then lose to someone's low kicks so he obviously has a plan in store for that. If it comes to a punching battle it's a 50/50. 

'I think Jamahal is being overlooked a little bit in this fight, I think he has KO power and I'm going to side with him.' 

But their antipodean friend Alexander Volkanovski went against that grain, concerned over the short turnaround between Hill's surgery on a ruptured Achilles and the big show on Saturday.  

He said on his YouTube channel: 'Hill coming from a big injury, I don't know if this came quicker than he expected, I know they needed a fight and made that happen, was he planning on fighting a little bit later? 

'I could be wrong, I don't have inside information. I'm going to assume that is the case and I'm going to lean towards Pereira because of that. 

'He had a big injury, I don't know how much time he had to prepare for this, was it rushed? So I'm going to have to go for Pereira.' 

One man who does not warm to the 'take one to land one' style of Poatan is Michael Venom Page, who recently enjoyed a successful UFC debut in beating Kevin Holland. 

'I don't rate Pereira's style to be anything spectacular, he's just a powerhouse', the Brit said on his YouTube channel. 

'His leg kicks are just abusive, he's got crazy power in his hands and obviously he's tough. He's got a chin but he gets hit a lot. I don't like the style when they accept damage. 

'Hill has power as well. It's the leg kicks that are going to change the game. I'm going to give it to Jamahal Hill. I'm a fan of what Pereira has done so far, I just don't like when people try to just be the tough guy.'

One of the more unusual predictions came from bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley, who is tipping Hill to win by submission, a feat he's not achieved once in his career so far. 

'I'm nervous for the Achilles, especially with Alex Pereira, who hits so hard,' he said on his channel. 'I think Jamahal goes in and strikes with him a little bit, takes him down and dominates him on the ground and we get a Jamahal Hill submission.'

Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman, two cerebral fighters, also weighed in on what they think will happen, though the Nigerian Nightmare stopped short of giving a prediction. 

He said: Hill knows he can touch Pereira and potentially put him out because Izzy has put him out. I give him a chance because of his confidence, he's not the most well-rounded guy, both guys with stand and bang. 

'If Pereira uses leg kicks, I think it might be problematic but he doesn't hold his hands the highest. He can be hit and hurt. For me it's still too early to give my prediction.'

And Pereira added: 'I think Hill could beat him but he needs to do it early because of that leg kick. Luckily he's southpaw. Glover was able to kick his leg pretty decisively. 

'But I'm going for Jamahal Hill, the key for victory, his straight punches are no joke, if he was able to add grappling it would definitely change the fight. He needs to take his chances early.'

One man tipping Pereira, unsurprisingly, is his Brazilian compatriot Charles Oliveira, who is fighting Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300.  

He said: 'Man, Jamahal deserves all the respect in the world, he’s super tough and hits hard, but everyone that comes in to trade with ‘Poatan’ on the feet will get folded. 

'Poatan is tough and hits hard, he definitely is hungry for revenge too, and wants to avenge Glover loss.'