Tag: UFC 300

Former interim lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje has confirmed plans to take a six-month hiatus from the Octagon at a minimum following his UFC 300 knockout loss to Max Holloway in the pair’s symbolic BMF title fight earlier this month.

Gaethje, the current number three ranked division contender, featured on the main card of UFC 300 earlier this month, taking on former featherweight champion, Holloway in defense of his symbolic BMF crown.

And en route to a rather comfortable decision loss to the Hawaiian favorite, Gaethje was summoned to the Octagon center with just 10 seconds remaining in the final frame – finding himself on the receiving end of a winning right hook counter from Holloway, felling him unconscious in brutal fashion.

Justin Gaethje planning extended hiatus

Confirming plans for an extended hiatus from the sport, Arizona veteran, Gaethje appeared to hint at a potential six month layoff at the minimum – prioritizing his recovery following a ghastly knockout defeat.

“Metaphorically, I could be ready tomorrow, but physically, I do want to take care of myself,” Justin Gaethje told MMA Hangout during a recent interview. “I do think that repeated concussions, with me going to sleep like that, me receiving that shot, It would be foolish for me to jump back into training anytime before 180 days.”

“I think six months, at least, before I get back to taking shots,” Justin Gaethje explained. “But that doesn’t say that I won’t be training the whole time.”

Immediately shutting down suggestions of a retirement off the back of his knockout loss, Gaethje vowed to make a triumphant return, after heaping praise on the massive performance put in by Holloway – whom he openly admitted to feeling he would never stand opposite in a fight. 

Who would you like to see Justin Gaethje fight in his return to the UFC?

Justin Gaethje says he made a significant mistake against Max Holloway at UFC 300.

Gaethje was defending his BMF belt in the featured bout against Holloway in a very intriguing matchup. It was a fan-friendly fight, but going into the bout, Gaethje says he made a key mistake as he didn’t realize how much danger he was in by fighting the Hawaiian.

“I think if I made a mistake, the biggest mistake was not realizing or understanding through the camp how much danger I was in,” Justin Gaethje said to the Dan LeBatard show (via MMAMania). “I know that was a mistake now. I think it was more difficult for my body to go to a primal state because of my lack of awareness of the danger that that my body was in. Not that I didn’t give Max respect. It was more the fact that I never in my life saw Max as an opponent that I would potentially fight.

“He was always in a different weight class. I never was like, ‘This is a guy I wanna fight.’ There’s never been another fight in my career where I’ve been like, ‘I didn’t expect to fight this guy,’ or ‘I have too much respect for this guy.’ Not that I didn’t wanna hurt him, I was willing to hurt him,” Justin Gaethje clarified. “But the lead up was very different — even Donald Cerrone was my friend back in the day, but he he knocked me out in a practice in, like, 2010. So I was like, I wanna get that back.”

“The competitor of me wants to get that back. There was nothing, that fire wasn’t there. And I think that was probably the biggest mistake that I made going into this fight. It’s something that I that I’m gonna learn from. But again, all credit to Max for for the way that he fought. I think he fought so perfect.”

Justin Gaethje ended up suffering a knockout loss to Max Holloway with one second left in the fifth round to lose his BMF title.

Justin Gaethje plans to take time off after UFC 300 loss

Following the knockout loss at UFC 300, Justin Gaethje says he will be taking some much-needed time off to heal up his brain and make sure he’s healthy.

Gaethje says he will be taking 180 days off of taking contact, as he wants to make sure he is 100 percent healthy for his next fight.

“I do want to take care of myself. I do think that repeated concussions with me going to sleep like that, me receiving that shot, it would be foolish for me to to jump back into training anytime before 180 days,” Gaethje said. “I could do cardio. I could stay in shape. That’s what I wanna try to do, especially the older I get, the harder it is to get back to the best shape of my life. So I wanna stay active. But obviously, the physical contact is gonna be limited for quite some time, just because I wanna preserve preserve myself. I think six months at least before I get back to taking shots.”

When and who Gaethje will fight in his return is uncertain.