Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway will get a second chance to prove he’s just as dangerous in the 155-pound division when he collides with lightweight “Highlight” reel Justin Gaethje as part of the upcoming UFC 300 pay-per-view (PPV) event, locked and loaded for Sat., April 13, 2024 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Holloway was defeated by Dustin Poirier at UFC 236 back in early 2019, his last trip north, but won’t give any credence to critics calling for “Blessed” to withdraw. After all, a victory over a top contender like Gaethje can open a lot of doors for the Hawaiian, including a title shot against reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
“I’m in a situation, I’m in a place where first things first is Gaethje,” Holloway told Kevin Iole. “But if I can go out there and get my hand raised like we plan on doing, there’s a lot of fights that can be there for us. And one of them being the ‘55 champ, which I think would be a fun one. I’m still on this path and that’s why I’m here today.”
Holloway, 32, is coming off back-to-back wins over Arnold Allen and Chan Sung Jung. As for Gaethje, three years older than “Blessed” at 35, he’s also the winner of two straight, decisioning Rafael Fiziev before stopping Poirier to win the “kind of stupid” BMF belt. As of this writing, Makhachev does not yet have an opponent for his next title defense.
The winner of Holloway vs. Gaethje will need to convince matchmakers to overlook Charles Oliveira or perhaps Arman Tsarukyan, who also compete at UFC 300 for a spot in the crowded lightweight title chase. Makhachev already holds victories over “Do Bronx” and “Ahalkalakets,” and doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to book rematches.
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