Max Holloway KNOCKS out Justin Gaethje in the final second of their BMF title fight at UFC 300 – as Joe Rogan calls the win ‘the biggest KO of all time’
- Max Holloway KO’d Justin Gaethje in the last second of their BMF title fight
- The former featherweight king turned in a career-best performance at UFC 300
- UFC 300 LIVE: Fight card and updates as Alex Pereira takes on Jamahal Hill
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Max Holloway knocked out Justin Gaethje in the final second of their UFC 300 showdown to win the BMF title.
In one of the most anticipated clashes on the star-studded card, the former featherweight king moved up to 155 lbs to face Gaethje.
On Saturday night, the pair engaged in an instant classic at T-Mobile Arena, where the showdown between the perennial fan favorites more than lives up to the BMF moniker.
From the first round, Holloway used his boxing to control the contest and invested early in hitting the body of his opponent.
Then, as the opening frame drew to a close, Holloway threw a spinning back that caught a second Gaethje flush on the nose, which appeared to cause an immediate break and left him compromised for the rest of the fight.
Max Holloway knocked out Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 to become the new BMF title holder
The former featherweight champion knocked Gaethje unconscious in the final second of the five-round fight
The second round was marred by a pair of eye pokes that saw Holloway cautioned by referee Mark Goddard, but after the action resumed the Hawaiian went back to racking up the damage with a variety of strikes.
Gaethje’s patented leg kick remained a threat throughout, but Holloway’s weaponized pace appeared to drown the 35-year-old as he absorbed shots to the body and head.
In the fourth of five scheduled rounds, Gaethje’s power finally shone through as he dropped Holloway to the canvas with a well-timed counter, but the former featherweight managed to recover immediately.
Already a legendary showdown between two of the sport’s most beloved competitors, the fifth and final round would elevate the status of the fight to new levels.
After coming close to finishing his opponent several times, when the clapper sounded to mark ten seconds left in the fight, Holloway beckoned Gaethje to join him in the center of the Octagon in the manner he so famously did with Ricardo Llamas in 2016.
The two fighters immediately began trading strikes, and with just one second remaining, Holloway landed an inch-perfect right hand to instantly render Gaethje unconscious.
Holloway dominated much of the contest and invested early in attacking Gaethje’s body
But Gaethje remained dangerous throughout, firing back with counter punches and low kicks
After the fight, Holloway asked for a title fight at either featherweight or lightweight
After the fight, Joe Rogan called the finish the ‘greatest knockout of all time’ and Holloway gave props to his opponent as he called for a clash with reigning featherweight king Ilia Topuria.
“Give it up to Gaethje, a real BMF,” he said. ‘He had nothing to gain and everything to lose. I’m him guys. El Matador runs away from the bull at the 145 mark.
‘Even Islam (Makhachev). I’m here, I’m right here! Any weight, I’m a gladiator, let’s get it! I want 600k, it was Fight of the Night and the end of the night.’