5 fights we should have seen at UFC 300: Did Dana White miss the mark? 

After months of anticipation, UFC 300 is now just two weeks away.

UFC CEO Dana White called the lead-up to the event documentary-worthy and per his comments, the main event was the second to last fight announced on the card. Announced the night of UFC 298, light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will defend his belt against former titleholder Jamahal Hill in the main event.

Strawweight queen Zhang Weili will be featured in the co-main event, defending her belt against her fellow countrywoman Yan Xiaonan. The 13-fight card will feature 20 ranked fighters and 12 current or former UFC champions.

As it currently stands from top to bottom, UFC 300 has the chance to go down as the best fight card of all time. Regardless, here are five potential fights that could have been on the pay-per-view event that may have pushed it over the top:

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Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou

Of the matchups on this list, this fight is the one that had the slimmest chance of becoming a reality with Francis Ngannou currently on the PFL roster. But had Dana White not let the former champion go in free agency and shut down the idea of co-promoting with the PFL, a matchup with current heavyweight champion Jon Jones would have delivered in the main event.

Many credit Jones as the greatest fighter of all time but still question his potential as a heavyweight with just a 1-0 record in the division. Despite his recent loss to Anthony Joshua in the boxing ring, Ngannou is still considered by most fans as the best heavyweight in MMA, being undefeated in the cage since 2018.

Heavyweight is a division that fans tend to criticize in 2024 and Jones vs. Ngannou will all but likely end up in the category of fights that should have been made but never came to fruition.

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Israel Adesanya vs. Dricus Du Plessis

After Alex Pereira left the middleweight division following a knockout loss to Israel Adesanya, the UFC finally had what it wanted following UFC 290: a promising contender who had bad blood with the champion. Unfortunately, Sean Strickland would uproot the promotional plans at UFC 293 by pulling off an unpredictable upset win.

The UFC wanted Dricus Du Plessis to challenge Israel Adesanya for the title instead of Strickland but ultimately still had the rivalry matchup in their hands after 'Still Knocks' took the belt off of Strickland at UFC 297. A turnaround for UFC 300 would have been tight for Du Plessis, but the new champion said he would be willing to do it against Adesanya.

Before the official announcement of Pereira and Jamahal Hill in the main event, fans predicted it would be Adesanya and Du Plessis. No public reports ever were made on what halted the matchmaking but Adesanya noted in early 2024 he had been dealing with several injuries.

Either way, the matchup would likely have gathered more hype than the current main event due to its built-in storyline and fanbase of both fighters.

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Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler

From the several reports made public in early 2024, no fighter pushed to be on UFC 300 more than Conor McGregor. Nonetheless, the biggest star in MMA history will not be on the biggest card in UFC history for one of several potential reasons.

Several puzzling developments have occurred since the turn of the new year including 'The Notorious' announcing he would fight Michael Chandler in June. However, that rumor has since been denied and both lightweights are still without an upcoming fight.

McGregor has teased a return several times since breaking his leg in the Octagon in 2021 and most notably coaches season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter opposite of Chandler. Yet, the matchup has not been confirmed and is allegedly targeted for late 2024.

Dana White has refused to single out any reason, but most recently pointed at the March 21 release of 'Road House' as holding back the Irishman's UFC return. McGregor was also connected to the abrupt departure of USADA from the UFC.

The reason to have McGregor on UFC 300 is simple as the essential face of MMA but for one reason or another, the event will commence without him.

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Khamzat Chimaev vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov

Khamzat Chimaev may be booked to face Robert Whittaker in Saudi Arabia but the fight fans have always wanted to see him in has been against Shavkat Rakhmonov.

After submitting Stephen Thompson at UFC 295, some have already dubbed Rakhmonov the best welterweight in the world while many have long seen him as a future champion. The rise of 'Nomad' is reminiscent of Chimaev's welterweight run before he moved up to middleweight, thus causing fans to desire the matchup.

Chimaev has lowered his activity in the Octagon since 2020 but remains one of the biggest stars in the UFC. Rakhmonov is not there just yet but has the potential to be. Every event Chimaev has been a part of instantly became bigger and the same would have been said about UFC 300 with his involvement.

This matchup was never rumored for UFC 300 but likely would not have been possible with both Chimaev and Rakhmonov devout Muslims and the April 13 date for UFC 300 is just four days after the conclusion of Ramadan. The UFC reportedly offered Rakhmonov a fight on UFC 300 with Leon Edwards but the Kazakh declined due to his religious obligations.

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Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria

As was the situation with Shavkat Rakhmonov, Islam Makhachev was offered a fight with Leon Edwards for UFC 300 but declined due to his commitment to Ramadan. Dana White also rejected the idea of Ilia Topuria challenging for a second belt without a title defense in the featherweight division. Nonetheless, the matchup is stylistically intriguing and would have elevated the card.

The current pound-for-pound no. 1 discussion is not as clear-cut as it has been in the past but Makhachev is unanimously in the conversation. The lightweight champion has never been a bigger star, fresh off a knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294.

Topuria may not have the title reign and pound-for-pound status that Makhachev has but he's already amongst the biggest stars in MMA. After winning the belt at UFC 298, Topuria received a giant homecoming in Spain including an honorary celebration at the Santiago Bernabeu with the Real Madrid football club.

The UFC wanted UFC 300 to be massive and adding two of its biggest stars would have made it so. The card is impressive but lacks the signature name at the top that Makhachev and Topuria would have provided.