The fight that every fan was excited for delivered in the most unexpected way possible. After an unexpected dominant performance, Max Holloway delivered what may be the best knockout in UFC history with just a second left in the fight.
Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje Fight Preview
Max Holloway makes the move up to 155 pounds for the second time in his career for a super fight with Justin Gaethje. The Hawaii native has already solidified his claim as one of the best featherweights ever and may have even had a title shot locked up at 145 pounds. Yet, he cares more about keeping the fans entertained and challenging himself in new ways, which is exactly what he’ll be doing in this fight. Holloway’s recent wins over The Korean Zombie and Arnold Allen have solidified that he still has what it takes to pick up a big win here.
Justin Gaethje will be standing across from the former featherweight king, looking to solidify his title shot at lightweight. A spectacular head-kick KO over Dustin Poirier in July catapulted his name back into the title picture. That win would’ve likely been enough for a title shot, however, Gaethje decided to take this fight and give fans what they were dreaming of. A win here would undeniably grant Gaethje a third chance at the title and add another extremely impressive name to his résumé.
Fight Recap
Gaethje came out targeting the leg to try and stifle the movement of Holloway. Holloway returned the favor by landing some leg kicks of his own but Gaethje’s powerful kicks had a bigger impact. Holloway landed some big punches early and looked to have gained some power by moving up. Holloway’s boxing looked crisp as he landed some very good shots as the round went on. A spinning sidekick by Holloway at the end of the round knocked Gaethje off balance and seemed to break Gaethje’s nose. It was a more timid round than expected but still featured big moments by both guys.
The second round started off timid before a big exchange where Gaethje was caught with a bad eye poke. Gaethje started to land more leg kicks and lunge in with some heavy shots but was finding little success. Holloway’s boxing on the outside was presenting some real problems for Gaethje, who was poked in the eye again but took little time to get back in the fight. The men exchanged heavy shots right before the bell rang and both landed effectively.
Holloway landed a nice body kick early in the round and seemed to be finding success with a lot of his strikes. Gaethje pelted him with an overhand before Holloway returned with a left hook. A big right straight from Max put Gaethje on the back foot before he was dropped momentarily. Another spinning back kick from Holloway glanced off the guard of Gaethje but made a loud noise. Gaethje continued to land some big leg kicks but was reacting to every feint that Holloway made.
Championship Rounds
The championship rounds started with Holloway seemingly in control of the fight. Gaethje’s pressure started to become more intense but Holloway was landing clean counters. Gaethje started to rush in with some combinations and was having his best round of the fight by far. Holloway’s leg was messed up and extremely swollen. Gaethje got in close and dropped Max with a big right hand who quickly sprung back to his feet. This was the biggest moment of the fight for either man and a massive confidence boost for Gaethje who continued pressuring with success until the end of the round.
Max Holloway started the round off focusing on his movement, before landing yet another clean spinning back kick to the body. Holloway landed a big right hand in the center of the cage and returned the favor in dropping Gaethje, who was wobbled and hurt but worked back to his feet. Max landed some big shots on the way up but not enough to end the fight. Holloway spent the rest of the round working his jab to great success and just beating Gaethje with his footwork and speed. A clean knee to the body followed up by some big kicks showed Holloway’s striking was on point in every area. With 10 seconds left, Holloway pointed to the floor and started to brawl with Gaethje, landing a massive overhand right that faceplanted Gaethje with one second left in the fight. The knockout was an incredible ending to a fight that may not have delivered on expectations up to that point.
Max Holloway called out Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev after the monumental win.
UFC Fighters React to Max Holloway’s Legendary Performance
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Featured Image Credit to Embed from Getty Images
