Max Holloway is all set for a monumental task ahead of him at UFC 300. Taking on Justin Gaethje in a BMF title showdown, there is a lot riding on the fight for Holloway. With that said, there is a lot that he can learn and utilize from one of Gaethje’s former foes.
For those unaware, Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway is all set to make the move up to lightweight to contend for Gaethje’s recently acquired BMF title. Last year, ‘The Highlight’ was able to claim the re-introduced title by knocking out Dustin Poirier with a vicious head kick at UFC 291.
The BMF title will be on the line at #UFC300 🚨@Justin_Gaethje & @BlessedMMA collide in a 5-round lightweight bout to see who’s the BADDEST of them all! pic.twitter.com/1TJE1h1cPT
— UFC (@ufc) January 17, 2024
Now, the two have been surprisingly pitted against each other in a fight that will also decide the next lightweight title challenger. Despite a stacked card from top to bottom, the fight between Max Holloway and Gaethje has been labeled the ‘People’s main event’ by many fans. Thus, it is clear that the fighters are two of the biggest draws in the company right now.
Justin Gaethje reveals why he predicted a doctor’s stoppage win over Max Holloway
For the most part, the fans are understandably torn ahead of the fight. Seeing that Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje are both two of the most beloved fighters among fans, it is a real dilemma to choose between the two or even watch either one of them potentially get knocked out. Safe to say, that feeling has also carried on to the fighters as well.
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Justin Gaethje admits that he predicted a doctor’s stoppage win over Max Holloway so as to spare him any real damage by knocking him out. Thus, by causing him enough damage to get the doctors to stop the fight, Gaethje hoped to somehow see out the fight:
“I have a lot of respect for Max. If I can cut his eye, break his arm, cause him to not be able to walk anymore, that sounds like an ideal situation for me rather than putting him to sleep.”
” I know he’s going to be trying to knock me out so, I will have no hard feelings to myself or to anything if I do put him to sleep. That was 8-10 weeks ago, so, I’m in much better shape now, much more confident in my abilities than I was then and we’ll see how this fight goes down.”
Clearly, both fighters have enormous respect for each other. Owing to the success that they have found in their careers, each fighter holds the other in high regard. Additionally, the two were even understood to have been friends at some point. Despite a towel incident during weigh-ins, Max Holloway has no hard feelings against Gaethje,
What can Max Holloway learn from Charles Oliveira?
Coming into the fight, there have been a lot of concerned fans for Max Holloway. Seeing that he is a 145er coming in against one of the hardest-hitting lightweights on the planet, there are chances that Max may not be the same person after this fight. However, at the same time, there are numerous things that he has going for him.
For one, unlike his previous trip to 155, Holloway has put in the time and work to fully transition to the weight class. Additionally, looking at Charles Oliveira’s performance against Gaethje at UFC 274, Holloway can take away some very crucial insights. From the get-go, Oliveira pressured forward, not shying away from Gaethje’s power. As a result, he was able to find gaps in Justin’s boxing, which is mostly based on loaded power shots rather than combinations.
At the same time, one of Gaethje’s biggest weapons are his leg kicks, something Charles felt the full brunt of in the opening moments of their fight. However, the Brazilian would either throw a straight jab or check the kick from thereon. Notably, closing Gaethje’s kicking range was also a big part of suppressing his attacks. Thus, should Max follow the same and continue his new habit of using his oblique kicks, it could benefit him massively.