UFC 300 kicked off on April 13 and featured an entire night of competitive fights among many divisions. One of the most intriguing fights was the BMF (Baddest Mother F*****) title fight, which took place between Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje. The fight was held as a lightweight division contest and the first time that Holloway moved up to the lightweight division since he began his career in mixed martial arts in 2011. Though many expected the fight to go differently, Holloway made a statement.
Through five rounds of action, Holloway was the aggressor, staggering Gaethje with clean shots each round. Gaethje is known for his power, but the worry was on if Holloway’s power would translate to a higher weight class. That was clearly the case, as Holloway dropped Gaethje with a vicious right-hand hook in the final second of the fifth round.
Holloway approached the middle of the octagon and pointed at the ground, signaling that he was ready to go punch-for-punch with Gaethje with the remaining time in the round. The pair squared off and began to rain down punches on one another. Holloway connected more and with more power, as he knocked Gaethje out cold in the final second, which left the MMA world reeling.
Not only did Holloway win the BMF title, but he also secured the Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonus. Both bonuses are usually an extra $50,000, but UFC President Dana White announced they would be raised to $300,000 to signify the special nature of reaching UFC 300.
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Holloway walked away with an extra $600,000 in bonus money on top of receiving his contracted amount for the fight and winning. The knockout and fight showcased just how good Holloway has become. He dominated Gaethje in a weight class he normally does not fight at, and Gaethje is a top contender at lightweight—which makes the win even more impressive.
That said, Holloway now has a multitude of options for his next fight. Here are a few opponents he is likely to face next.
Ilia Topuria – Featherweight Champion
The most logical choice for Holloway is to take on Ilia Topuria, who is the current UFC Featherweight Champion. Topuria has been on an undefeated run in the UFC since 2015, taking down big names like Bryce Mitchell, Josh Emmett, and former champion Alexander Volkanovski—which landed him the title.
Topuria began to discuss his next opponent, but often left out Holloway in his plans. Despite his wanting to select his first title defense, he could be at the mercy of White and Hunter Campbell, as they will want to book a fight that will draw the most eyes and money.
Holloway has also seemingly gotten better every fight, and after knocking out Gaethje as he did, he might not be denied any fight. Topuria has already taken to social media to call out Holloway, and they are likely to fight one another in the summer or fall.
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is still the biggest draw in the UFC, and his lining up to fight Holloway next would be one of the biggest fights in UFC history. The pair squaring off against one another for the BMF title would be incredible to see.
McGregor’s return to the octagon was finally announced by White, which he revealed would headline UFC 303 on June 29, and see the former two-division champ take on Michael Chandler. Chandler and McGregor have been at each other’s throats for months on social media, and they can finally settle their personal beef in June.
Even though McGregor is slated for a June return, should he win dominantly, he and Holloway could face off at the end of the year for the BMF title. This would be an incredible matchup for longtime UFC fans.
Top-5 Lightweight Contender
This might sound like a weird choice to place here, but let’s face facts—Holloway has earned a shot against a top-5 contender in the lightweight division. Gaethje is ranked No. 2 in the Lightweight division, and he was just dominated by Holloway.
It stands to reason that Holloway could then face someone like Arman Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan was ranked No. 4 in the division but just defeated Charles Oliveira, who is ranked No. 1. Holloway could take on either one of them, as he has showcased that his skills at lightweight are top-notch.
Other lightweight possibilities for Holloway to take on next are No. 3 ranked Dustin Poirier, though he is scheduled to fight lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 on June 1. Poirier, win or lose, could face Holloway at the end of the year or early 2025.
If Chandler beats McGregor, it could spawn another intriguing BMF matchup for Holloway at the end of the year as well. Even if Chandler wins, Holloway facing McGregor would still be a massive draw.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.