UFC 300 special event tracker: Joe Rogan gets emotional celebrating historic moment
UFC 300 is an event like no other. and tonight’s card is sure to have the whole entertainment world buzzing.
From Donald Trump to Drake to Halle Berry to Shaq, the UFC has had a long history of celebrity fans cheering from the stands, and the stars are sure to be out for Saturday’s historic pay-per-view event. Add in the shenanigans of the fighters themselves plus whatever special events the promotion has officially set on the schedule, and keeping track of it all can make even the most devoted fight fan’s head spin.
That’s why MMA Fighting is tracking all of the special events, celebrity sightings, and odds and ends of fight night, which you can follow below.
8:05 p.m. ET: Face the Pain is back
The UFC went all-out for its start to Saturday’s ESPN preliminaries, breaking out the STEMM classic Face the Pain to cap off a fantastic intro video that brought back fond memories of the promotion’s rise in the early 2000s.
The “Zuffa Gladiator” also made their return along with fighter interviews being presented and black and white.
Never thought that nu metal song would make you so emotional, did you?
8:23 p.m. ET: Mark Zuckerberg is in the building
Facebook founder, Meta CEO, and all-around rich dude Mark Zuckerberg took a seat cageside at UFC 300.
Check out his arrival below.
Zuckerberg had a front-row seat for Diego Lopes’ incredible first-round knockout of Sodiq Yusuff, but when Lopes exited the cage to celebrate with Dana White, it appeared that the featherweight contender didn’t even notice Zuckerberg was there.
7:53 p.m. ET: Game respects game, always
Following his impressive submission win over Cody Garbrandt, Deiveson Figueiredo ran into a familiar face backstage: Longtime rival, Brandon Moreno.
Figueiredo and Moreno met in a memorable four-fight flyweight championship series, which ended 2-1-1 in favor of Moreno. Despite the intense battles they engaged in, it was all love backstage at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night.
7:25 p.m. ET: The King vs. The Baddy next?
After winning a thrilling and bloody battle with Jim Miller, Bobby Green already has his next opponent in mind: Polarizing UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett.
“Paddy [Pimblett], how dare you, you slimy, sugary little snake,” Green said in his post-fight interview. “How dare you say my name? I’m coming after you. July, I’m coming to your backyard, with your people, to kick your ass.”
“The Baddy” is yet to lose inside the octagon, winning his first five fights for the promotion, most recently defeating fan favorite Tony Ferguson at UFC 296. Along the way, Pimblett has drawn plenty of attention to his fights with his brash personality.
Love him or hate him, Pimblett fighting in his home country of England against another respected veteran would certainly have fans invested.
6:45 p.m. ET: The UFC’s international stars make their presence known
The best of the best from across the globe are in Las Vegas for UFC 300.
That list includes interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall (England), two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (New Zealand), and recent bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera (Ecuador).
And let’s not forget UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman representing the good ol’ U.S. of A.
Coleman is set to play a prominent part on tonight’s card as he will wrap the belt around the waist of the winner of the “BMF” title fight between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway.
Joe Rogan gets emotional
Joe Rogan has been one of the voices of the UFC for decades and the popular commentator and podcaster couldn’t help but shed a few tears as the event kicked off.
“I couldn’t sleep last night,” Rogan told fellow commentators Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier. “I kept getting up in the middle of the night, ‘It’s happening! It’s just hours away!’
“I’m so fired up. I’ve been here since UFC 12, so just the fact that it became the sport that it is today is beyond my wildest imagination. And to be here for this card with you guys for UFC 300, I’m just blown away.”
Drake bets big on “Poatan”
Drake is at it again.
No stranger to big wagers on UFC fight, the Canadian rapper announced that he’s thrown a six-figure wager down on Alex Pereira in the hopes of earning a nearly $1.2 million payout.
Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against former champion Jamahal Hill in tonight’s main event. Will the fearsome Brazilian striker fall victim to the infamous “Drake Curse?”
Sketch lets everyone know UFC has begun, brother
TikToker and Twitch streamer Sketch kicked things off in succinct fashion, dropping his catchphrase to announce the start of UFC 300.
With over 3 million followers across his social media platforms, Sketch’s words are the kind of endorsement that are key to the UFC reaching an even broader audience.
Triple H pays respect to his TKO partners
Triple H is tuned in to UFC 300.
The WWE executive and longtime sports entertainment star tweeted his admiration for the UFC, his partner under the TKO umbrella, calling it a “big night,” a “blockbuster card,” and “a milestone event.”
That’s hefty praise considering that Triple H and company just celebrated their own historic occasion this past weekend, WrestleMania 40. The two-night professional wrestling extravaganza set WWE records for viewership numbers and you can bet that UFC CEO Dana White is hoping to match that success.