Max Holloway is the undisputed 'BMF' after his epic UFC 300 knockout of Gaethje

Max Holloway had just one word for fans when addressing the crowd at the UFC 300 weigh-in ceremony: “Violence.”

That's exactly what he and Justin Gaethje did on Saturday as Holloway captured the BMF Title in spectacular fashion as he delivered the last-second knockout punch that mixed martial arts fans May never be forgotten.

On his way to becoming featherweight champion, one of Holloway's more spectacular performances came at UFC 199 when he took on one-time title challenger Ricardo Lamas. Holloway was comfortably ahead on all scorecards but when the applause in the cage rang out to signal the final 10 seconds of the fight, the pride of Waianae, Hawaii found its feet in the middle of the octagon and asks Lamas if he wants to switch hands and brawl until he doesn't. the last horn.

Lamas obliged, the two going wild as Holloway landed cleaner shots, and the final buzzer gave both fighters a standing ovation and Holloway adding an exclamation point for the win. overwhelming victory.

At T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night, Holloway led Gaethje on the scorecards after four rounds and continued to find success in the final five minutes.

Holloway didn't need to do what he did next but in the most BMF move imaginable, Holloway decided to play one of his greatest hits. He invited Gaethje into the center of the cage like he did with Lamas, they both started swinging, and this time only one fighter was left standing.

That being said, this BMF title match served as everyone's headliner at the blockbuster event in Las Vegas even though it was placed third on the main card behind two traditional title fights in the main events and sub.

It lived up to the hype in over 24 minutes. Holloway's outstanding finish exceeded even the wildest expectations of how the fight could end.

Gaethje said earlier this week that he doesn't “plan on surviving” the fights, demonstrating his kill-or-be-killed mindset when competing. Thankfully, the 35-year-old man regained consciousness and was able to stand on his own when Holloway's hand was raised.

Holloway, 32, holds the record for most total and significant strikes in UFC history and he added to that total on Saturday by connecting on 181 significant strikes compared to Gaethje's 103 .

Looking at 155 pounds compared to his usual 145 pounds, Holloway's added muscle means his punches have a little more rebound behind them. Not only that, his footwork is excellent and he can overcome the majority of Gaethje's biggest knockout attempts.

Gaethje's most effective attacks throughout the fight were the low leg kicks he smashed into Holloway's left shin and calf. However, it was a kick from Holloway that was the turning point early in the fight. A close-range spinning kick appeared to injure Gaethje's nose late in the opening round and affected Gaethje's breathing later in the fight.

Both fighters wore special shorts for the event. A small detail but it adds to the special nature of this match.

Action in Round 2 was briefly paused after Holloway was accidentally poked in the eye. About 90 seconds later, Holloway's right thumb accidentally entered Gaethje's other eye.

The inaugural BMF Title bout at UFC 244 ended in disappointment when the cageside doctor called off the fight because of a deep laceration above one of Nate Diaz's eyes, so fans held their breath as the doctor examining Gaethje.

Jorge Masvidal won against Diaz that night in 2019 but has never defended the BMF title. The UFC regained the BMF title last summer at UFC 291 for Gaethje's rematch with Dustin Poirier.

The iconic title represents one's willingness to take up the shield in an effort to win, and Gaethje did exactly that in his bid to become the first man to defend the BMF belt. He showed that heart in wins over the years with Poirier, Eddie Alvarez, Michael Johnson, Edson Barboza, Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler that earned him a reputation as the most violent man in the sport. the most violent sport.

Meanwhile, Holloway has also been a BMF from the moment he made his UFC debut in 2012, when he was 20 years old in a short-lived bout with Poirier. The only time he competed at lightweight before UFC 300 was when he moved up to fight for an interim title when he was the reigning featherweight champion. He lost that fight by five-round decision, also to Poirier, but the lightweight version of “Blessed” we saw knock out Gaethje was something else entirely.

On a card that featured several star-making performances and eight standout finishes, including Alex Pereira shutting down Jamahal Hill in the main event, Holloway stole the spotlight at UFC 300 in style. BMF indeed.

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