Justin Gaethje was the victim of one of the most memorable knockout losses in UFC history, and he has no regrets.
Gaethje and Holloway collided in a highly anticipated matchup at UFC 300 back in 2024. The BMF Championship was at stake inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Holloway was well on his way to a unanimous decision win before daring Gaethje to trade strikes at the end of the final round.
Gaethje obliged, and he was knocked out cold for his efforts. The finish happened with just one second remaining in the fight.
Reflecting on the fight during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Gaethje said he’s glad he went out on his shield (via MMAJunkie).
“I would do it 100 times over, and I’m glad I lost like that,” Gaethje said. “It’s a much better story for my legacy to lose like that than to let one more second go and I just lose a decision. Me getting knocked out and then coming back and having two wins in a row, it makes those two wins much more inspiring, and it makes what I’m going to do at the end of my career that much more inspiring. That’s ultimately why I’m here.”
Gaethje hasn’t suffered a loss since that fight against Holloway. He rebounded with a dominant unanimous decision win over Rafael Fiziev, followed by an interim UFC lightweight title win against Paddy Pimblett. Gaethje has secured a title unification bout against Ilia Topuria at some point in 2026.
As for Holloway, he’s set for a BMF title defense against Charles Oliveira on March 7. The bout is scheduled to headline UFC 326 in Las Vegas.
Where were you when you saw Justin Gaethje’s UFC 300 fight against Max Holloway? Tell us what your initial reaction to the sensational knockout finish was in the comment section below.