Max wins BMF with thrilling last-second KO of Justin Gaethje

The BMF title isn’t an actual championship, however Max Holloway did the gimmick proud on Saturday night time with an explosive last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in Las Vegas.

Holloway (26-7), a former featherweight champion competing at light-weight on this bout, was in management from the beginning, with quicker palms and elusive footwork that made it troublesome for Gaethje (25-5) to search out him. For Gaethje, the defending BMF belt holder, the combat turned more and more troublesome after Holloway related with a spinning again kick to the face proper earlier than the horn to finish Spherical 2. The kick busted up Gaethje’s nostril, and his face was a bloody mess the remainder of the way in which.

Gaethje did ground Holloway with a proper hand late in Spherical 4, though UFC Stats didn’t credit score him with handing Holloway the primary knockdown of his profession. The punch turned the tide briefly, however Holloway retook management within the remaining spherical. As the ultimate seconds ticked away, when all Holloway needed to do was keep away from a late knockout, he as a substitute walked to the middle of the Octagon with 10 seconds to go and motioned for Gaethje to return commerce punches with him.

The audacious invitation received the group roaring and the 2 males began slinging large punches at one another. Proper earlier than the horn was to sound, Holloway related with a proper hand that despatched Gaethje face-first to the canvas. Referee Marc Goddard waved off the combat as a knockout at 4:59.

It was one of many best “wow!” moments in UFC historical past.

“I am him! I am him, guys!” Holloway shouted into the microphone throughout his interview within the cage afterward. Then he pointed towards present featherweight champ Ilia Topuria, who was cageside. “There’s ‘El Matador.’ He is working away from the bull!”

Holloway additionally known as out light-weight champ Islam Makhachev.

After this efficiency, something is feasible.

“That is why Max Holloway is beloved,” UFC president Dana White mentioned at his postfight information convention. “He is received the combat gained and in there with probably the most harmful fighters within the enterprise. That is like film s—. It is the combat of the yr. If one thing beats that as combat of the yr, holy s—.”

This was the primary time within the brief historical past of the “Baddest Motherf—er” title {that a} fighter was defending the belt, and in addition the primary time that an actual UFC champ was concerned. Gaethje is a former World Sequence of Preventing champ, UFC interim belt holder and two-time challenger for the actual belt. Holloway is a former UFC featherweight champion.

The BMF idea started in 2019 with a bout between two fighters with important avenue cred, Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. Masvidal gained by TKO, however after that his solely BMF involvement was in wrapping the belt across the waist of Gaethje after he knocked out Dustin Poirier final July within the second BMF combat.

That might have made Saturday’s combat a title protection for Gaethje if solely the BMF gimmick operated underneath actual championship guidelines. However who is aware of whether or not Holloway shall be a part of the following BMF bout. He is perhaps busy competing for a belt which means one thing extra tangible.