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UFC 300 is still a work in process. As recently as this past Wednesday, January 24th, Dana White was on camera telling fans that the main event had not yet been set for the centennial PPV. There is one guaranteed action fight, however, that fans can already start getting excited about, with Justin Gaethje welcoming Max Holloway back to the lightweight division.
Holloway previously took a stab at 155 lbs back in 2019, when he fought and lost to Dustin Poirier for an interim lightweight title. A brutal war that had ‘Blessed’ looking notably out-gunned for power, the loss pushed the Hawaiian back to featherweight where he’s racked up five more wins and three more losses (with each loss coming to Alexander Volkanovski).
Justin Gaethje didn’t want to fight Max Holloway at UFC 300
It’s those losses that have left the 32-year-old Gracie Technics talent at something of a loose end. With no clear path back to title contention, fans have been left talking about potential superfights for Holloway with the likes of Aljamain Sterling, Henry Cejudo, or perhaps Charles Oliveira. Then Justin Gaethje came along and seemingly spoke this fight into existence.
“I kind of talked this into existence on accident,” Gaethje said in a recent interview (transcript via MMA Junkie). “I said, ‘I didn’t want to punch Max Holloway, but he’s also a guy that could fight for a BMF belt.’ That turns out into going to be having to punch Max Holloway. It’s the name of the game, and I am the best in the world at creating damage.”
Hopefully we avoid Gaethje/Cerrone vibes
This isn’t the first time Justin Gaethje has stepped into the UFC Octagon against an opponent he’d rather not face. Back in 2019, just a few months after Holloway’s fight with Poirier, the ‘Highlight’ took a fight with friend and sometimes training partner Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone.
“That was my friend, I didn’t want to do that to him, I’ll be honest with you,” Gaethje told the crowd after knocking Cerrone out, noting his anger at the referee for not stopping the bout earlier.
In the years since that victory, Gaethje has gone 4-2, winning an interim title for his 2020 bout against Tony Ferguson, but losing unified title shots to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. Most recently Gaethje avenged a 2018 loss to Dustin Poirier, knocking the ‘Diamond’ out with a head kick in the second round at UFC 291 last July. Stay tuned for more news and notes on the UFC 300 lineup as fight night approaches.
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