At long last, UFC 300 is finally upon us, and what an event we have in store. With a card stacked from top to bottom, there is not even a moment to take your eyes off the screen. As such, let’s take a closer look at one of the biggest fights on the day, Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway.
For those unaware, the UFC got the ball rolling for their third centennial event with some initial fight announcements. After drumming up a lot of hype, they then revealed that Justin Gaethje would be defending his BMF title against Max Holloway at UFC 300. Naturally, there was some surprise regarding the news as Gaethje was expected to be next to challenge Islam Makhachev.
BMF is on the line this weekend…
We’ll find out who is the baddest motherf*&^%@ this Saturday 💥@Justin_Gaethje vs @BlessedMMA will happen at #UFC300 pic.twitter.com/pTTKBoYCnm
— UFC (@ufc) April 9, 2024
Either way, the fight is a go and perhaps one of the most anticipated ones on the night. By all means, the fight has rightfully been labeled ‘The People’s Main Event’ by some of the fans. On one side we have an unstoppable force in Gaethje, against an immovable object in Holloway. When all is said and done, both fighters will not be the same coming out of this fight.
Whilst Gaethje is riding the highs of a head-kick KO win over Dustin Poirier coming into this one, Max Holloway is coming off a schooling of Arnold Allen and a brutal demolition of ‘The Korean Zombie’. Adding to the fact that he has also reintegrated sparring for this matchup, neither fighter is leaving any stone unturned for this one. Considering the BMF title and a lightweight title shot at stake, expect no mercy from either fighter.
UFC 300: Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway stats
Stats | Justin Gaethje | Max Holloway |
---|---|---|
Wins | 26 | 25 |
Losses | 4 | 7 |
Height | 5 ft 11 in | 5ft 11 in |
Division | Lightweight | Lightweight |
Reach | 178 cm | 175.5 cm |
Age | 35 | 32 |
Gaethje vs Holloway: Fight Breakdown
Coming into this one, many have understandably gone with Justin Gaethje off the rip. Owing to ‘Blessed’ coming up from 145 lbs and possessing the power disadvantage, the fans believe that Gaethje will be the man to break Holloway’s iron chin. Ahead of what will be his 29th fight in the UFC, Holloway has never been knocked down. A seemingly unreal fact, considering he has absorbed approximately 2,130 strikes in his career so far.
At the same time, ‘The Highlight’ is arguably one of the hardest-hitting lightweights, with 6 of his 8 wins in the UFC coming by way of KO/TKO. Additionally, Gaethje has the highest bonus rate in UFC history with 10 bonuses in 12 fights. As for Holloway, he comes in with the most strikes landed in UFC history, with approximately 2,270 strikes landed.
Thus, the fight has all the makings of going down in the UFC Hall of Fame. For Gaethje, the pain point in major fights has been his deviations from the fight plan. Despite promising starts in his title fights against Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin seemingly capitulated. In his fight against Oliveira at UFC 274, the 35-year-old made the strange decision to go for one-off, loaded power shots, despite finding success in combinations.
Thereafter, he would get outdone on the feet before eventually being submitted. As for Max Holloway, the only pain point for him has been against faster opponents who can hit him and get away, ultimately outlanding him for a decision like Alexander Volkanovski.
If he is to win against Gaethje, he will need to constantly pressure his opponent, cutting the range for his leg kicks. At the same time, he must evade Justin’s power punches and break him down with combinations. Seeing that his opponent is a fighter with no quit, Max will likely need to empty his tank for this one and take it to a grueling decision.