LAS VEGAS – After 24 minutes and 50 seconds of hard-hitting action, Max Holloway had a win over Justin Gaethje in the bag. Which is to say the former UFC featherweight champion had no reason to stand and trade with his knockout artist adversary in the final 10 seconds.
And yet, when the wooden clapper clapped in the fifth round of their UFC 300 fight, Holloway pointed to the center of the cage and invited Gaethje to engage in war. They did just that, and with one second left, Holloway put the finishing touches on a masterful lightweight performance with a one-punch knockout of Gaethje with one second left in their BMF title fight Saturday night at T-Mobile.
The brutal finish, which should be the frontrunner for Knockout of the Year, sent the MMA world into a frenzy and left UFC CEO Dana White awestruck – because, again, there was no reason for Holloway put himself in harm’s way.
So why take the risk? What was going through Holloway’s mind?
“That this is the moment. That this is what BMFs is known for – the baddest mother-effer,” Holloway said at the UFC 300 post-event news conference. “… If that’s not a BMF moment, I don’t know what is. If the cards were flipped and Justin felt like he was up, I know he would give me that 10-second shot. He’s a bad man, and I don’t know if I’m ever gonna share the octagon with him again. He’s a legend.
“This is the type of stuff you do to etch your name in the history books. I’m just happy that I was the one landing. He missed some shots, and I was getting hurt by the wind of his shots. That’s how hard he hits.”
Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Justin Gaethje (red gloves) falls to the mat while fighting Max Holloway (blue gloves) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
As incredible as the victory was, Holloway said it was the second favorite of his career behind UFC 212 in December 2017, when he claimed his first undisputed 145-pound title against Jose Aldo in Rio de Janeiro.
A pivotal moment as the horn sounded in the first round was Holloway landed a spinning back kick that likely broke Gaethje’s nose.
“I was blessed enough to land that spinning back kick. I think it broke his nose,” Holloway said. “I could hear Trevor (Wittman) there being like, ‘Don’t blow it out.’ So I was like, ‘Yeah, his nose is broken.’ I just knew fighting 20 minutes like that is a tough thing. I think being at altitude helped him a lot, because any less of a man does not do what Justin Gaethje does. He’s made out of titanium. I don’t know what it is. He’s a titan.”
Holloway added, “Shout out to Justin Gaethje, brother. He had everything to lose. He still took this fight, UFC 300, the biggest fight card for the next decade probably. To go out there and do what we did, you know, we both got paid, so I’m happy for that. Even the fans, you know, pushing him for this fight, Justin accepting the fight, getting my flower shorts, crazy championship-like walk. It was just an amazing night.”
With the BMF title belt now in his possession along with legitimate stakes to both lightweight and featherweight title shots off of this one victory alone, Holloway loves his current situation.
“I’ve got options,” Holloway said. “It feels great. … We’re gonna sit down with my team and figure it out.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.
