LAS VEGAS -- UFC 300 is set to be one of the biggest events in promotion history, and it's going to come with some extra pageantry.
Four fighters competing on the UFC 300 main card -- Alex Pereira, Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway and Zhang Weili -- will wear custom fight kits as part of a special initiative by the UFC's uniform partner Venum. As part of the program, select fighters will be given the opportunity to customize their fight gear. Bryce Mitchell was the first to have unique fight shorts, a camouflage pattern, followed by UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley's pink shorts at UFC 299 last month.
UFC 300 will mark the most athletes with customized fight kits since the UFC signed a uniform deal with Reebok in 2014. The UFC's contract with Venum began in 2021. Last month, the two companies announced an extension had been signed through 2029.
All four athletes wearing custom shorts at UFC 300 have given their input and inspiration for their respective designs, per the UFC.
Pereira will headline UFC 300 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, defending his UFC light heavyweight title against former champion Jamahal Hill. He will be wearing red shorts with the native markings of the Pataxo tribe in Brazil that he belongs to. Venum designers researched the tribe to attain the correct pattern and color.
Zhang Weili, born in China, will wear shorts and a sports bra in red with dragons and traditional Chinese markings infused in the background. The color gold and the red of the country's flag will be prominent. Zhang defends her UFC women's strawweight title against fellow Chinese-born fighter Yan Xiaonan in the co-main event.
Justin Gaethje, who will defend his BMF title against Max Holloway on Saturday, sent images to Venum of black-and-gray and black-and-white tonal flags of the United States of America as the inspiration for his shorts. His goal was to represent the U.S. in a muted and toned-down version of the flag.
Holloway has long advocated for a floral design for his fight shorts, taken from the flag of his home state of Hawaii. Venum designers researched the island's flowers and used the colors of Hawaii's flag -- red, white and blue -- to design a floral motif authentic to Holloway and his culture.
The custom fight gear is also available for sale to fans beginning this week.
"Venum has done an outstanding job of turning around these unique shorts in a very short time period in order to present them to the fighters for UFC 300," a UFC spokesperson said.