Max Holloway scored one of the greatest MMA knockouts of all time in UFC 300, faceplant Justin Gaethje in the last second of the ‘BMF’ title fight.
The former featherweight champion faced Gaethje in the latter’s preferred division, 155 pounds, but put on a five-round masterclass to put himself on the brink of a decision victory.
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Still, with 10 seconds left on the clock, the Hawaiian risked his victory by looking at Gaethje, pointing to the screen and asking the American to change hands in one last frantic exchange.
Gaethje complied and was brutalized with a strong overhand right, which left the former interim champion unconscious, causing him to fall face down on the ground.
It was a stunning end to the most anticipated fight of the night, at a historic event in Las Vegas, as Holloway took the ‘Baddest Motherf***er’ title from Gaethje in style.
Many have written off Holloway, due to his ill-fated lightweight adventure in 2019, when he lost on points to Dustin Poirier while competing for the interim belt.
However, “Blessed” had more time to move up to lightweight on this occasion, and looked healthy and comfortable in the octagon, arguably winning the first four rounds before his mesmerizing knockout. At the end of the first round, the 32-year-old appeared to break Gaethje’s nose with a spinning back kick, and Holloway repeated the move throughout the fight, constantly bothering the “Highlight” with it.
After defeating the 35-year-old Gaethje, Holloway called out current featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who won 145-pound gold from Alexander Volkanovski in February. Topuria knocked out Volkanovski, who had already gone 3-0 against Holloway, to become champion, and the Georgian-Spanish has since called on the UFC to hold an event in Madrid – preferably at the end of 2024.
In the co-main event of UFC 300 Zhang Weili retained strawweight belt against Yan Xiaonan via unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45), winning the first all-Chinese title fight in UFC history.
In the main fight, Brazil Alex Pereira stopped Jamahal Hill in the first round to retain the light heavyweight title, submitting the former champion with strikes on the ground after hitting him with a left hook. Hill’s eyes rolled back as he fell to the canvas, before the American was pummeled with Pereira’s hammer fists.
Complete UFC 300 results
Alex Pereira defeated. Jamahal Hill via first round knockout (left hook and ground strikes, 3:14)
Zhang Weili defeated. Yan Xiaonan by unanimous decision (49-4, 49-45, 49-45)
Max Holloway defeated. Justin Gaethje via fifth-round knockout (punch, 4:59)
Arman Tsarukyan defeated. Charles Oliveira by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Bo Nickal defeated. Cody Brundage via second round submission (rear naked choke, 3:38)
Jiri Prochazka defeated. Aleksandar Rakic via second round TKO (strike, 3:17)
Aljamain Sterling defeated. Calvin Kattar by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Kayla Harrison defeated. Holly Holm via second round submission (rear naked choke, 1:47)
Diego Lopes defeated. Sodiq Yusuff via first round TKO (strike, 1:29)
Renato Moicano defeated. Jalin Turner via TKO in round two (ground attacks, 4:11)
Jessica Andrade won. Marina Rodriguez via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Bobby Green defeated. Jim Miller by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-25, 29-26)
Deiveson Figueiredo defeated. Cody Garbrandt via second round submission (rear naked choke, 4:02)
