The mouth-watering bout that UFC 300 was built around (no, not this one) — Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway — popped off tonight (Sat., April 13, 2024) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
On the line was Gaethje’s “BMF” gimmick belt, which he won thanks to a career-defining knockout victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 back in July 2023 (watch highlights). Holloway, a former Featherweight kingpin, was more or less trapped thanks to three losses to former 145-pound champion, Alexander Volkanovski.
And with Gaethje disinterested in fighting division champion, Islam Makhachev, overseas, the stars more or less aligned to give mixed martial arts (MMA) fans a super early Christmas present.
And when the chaotic dust finally settled on the epic pairing, it was Holloway who notched one of the best finishes fight fans will ever see … and UFC Hall of Famer (and recent hero), Mark Coleman, wrapping the “BMF” belt around his waist.
Both fighters touched gloves and we were off, with Holloway in his custom floral Hawaiian fight shorts and Gaethje with the stars and stripes. The first minute was slow, with each fighter gauging distance and looking for openings. Gaethje scored first with a low kick that literally took Holloway off his feet, countering moments later with two decent left hands. Gaethje connected next, but Holloway unleashed a nice hook that appeared to zap Gaethje momentarily. Gaethje wasn’t buzzed to bad, continuing to be patient, feinting and conserving his energy for the long haul. But, Holloway stayed busy, connection with a nice, short shovel uppercut, then a right hand as Gaethje was content to not really do much offensively in the early going. Holloway landed a wild spinning back kick at the bell that almost sent Gaethje crashing through the open cage door.
Gaethje’s nose was leaking blood, perhaps the wake up call he needed to get into the fight. And he looked visibly more into it, sitting down on his punches and using his legs again. Both fighters traded in the center of the cage, but before Gaethje could get off, Holloway poked him straight in the eye — it was a bad one. So, just in case you are keeping score, Gaethje’s nose was likely shattered and he was blind in one eye just seven minutes into the fight. Regardless, Gaethje landed a nice overhand right followed by a leg kick on the restart, but with 90 seconds on the clock, Holloway poked him in the other eye. And no points were taken. Gaethje responded with another wicked low kick, before Holloway popped him in the nose once more. There was a violent flurry to close the second round, but Gaethje was fighting an uphill battle.
Between rounds, Gaethje’s corner implored him to continue using his legs — it was his most effective weapon. And he looked better to start the third frame, the blood was cleaned and he had more bounce in his step. But, Holloway was just dealing — drilling him with a hard hook, then another spinning kick that Gaethje ducked into. Gaethje felt it, certainly, responding with a low kick. Holloway landed another spinning kick, which Gaethje just couldn’t deal with properly. He was essentially down three rounds and needed a finish if he wanted to retain his “BMF” belt.
But, it never came.
Holloway had radar lock on Gaethje’s busted nose, finding it whenever it seemed Gaethje was starting to turn the tide with heavy shots that had Holloway taking deep breaths. Gaethje still had the low kicks working, but his overreaction to getting punched in the nose repeatedly was not a good look. Gaethje had him hurt in round four — bad, knocking him to the canvas with a clubbing shot behind the ear — but Holloway hid behind his jab and kept him uncomfortable the rest of the way.
Then, in the fifth and final round, Max started to pull away, drilling Gaethje with a right cross and a follow-up barrage that seemed like it was the beginning of the end. But, Holloway was smart, not rushing into anything that could turn his lights out.
That all changed with about 15 seconds left on the clock, the two warriors emptied the tank, throwing wild shots until Gaethje fell down … out … with just two seconds left on the clock.
Final result: Holloway def. Gaethje via knockout in
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