Justin Gaethje has no regrets about his UFC 300 knockout loss to Max Holloway. In 2024, Gaethje was looking to defend his BMF title and locked horns with ‘Blessed’ at UFC 300.
The bout didn’t go Gaethje’s way, and he was far behind on the judges’ scorecards. But, in the final 10 seconds, Holloway gave ‘The Highlight’ one last chance to turn the fight around by knocking him out. Pointing to the canvas, ‘Blessed’ challenged Gaethje to meet him in the center.
Responding to the Hawaiian’s iconic point-down gesture, Gaethje entered a firefight in the final seconds of the fifth stanza. But he failed to land anything significant, and with one second left, the best boxer in the UFC sent Gaethje face-first to the shadow realm.
Justin Gaethje says he “is glad” he lost to Max Holloway by knockout and not by decision
Recently, while speaking to ESPN MMA, ‘The Highlight’ admitted that he would “do it a 100 times over” [stand in the pocket and trade as he did with Max Holloway] as he knew he was losing the fight and that was his only chance at victory.
I fought a bad fight, and I was in a position where I was going to lose. And once he granted me that opportunity to go out and knock him out to win, the competitor I am, I am never going to turn that opportunity down… I knew I was in a bad position. I put myself there, and I understood that I was losing and I was going to lose. So when that opportunity came, I had no choice. I would do it 100 times over.”
After the UFC 300 knockout loss to Holloway, Gaethje returned to winning ways against Rafael Fiziev in a rematch. Most recently, at UFC 324, after dismantling Paddy Pimblett, he also became the first UFC fighter to grab the interim title twice.
During the same interview, he added that the UFC 300 loss will help shape his legacy and stand as an example for others on how to bounce back after devastating losses:
I am glad I lost like that. It’s a much better story for my legacy to lose like that than to let one more second go and I just lose by decision. Me getting knocked out and then coming back and having two wins in a row makes those two wins that much more inspiring, and it makes what I’m going to do at the end of my career THAT much more inspiring.”
Check out Justin Gaethje’s comments below:
Later this year, ‘The Highlight’ will look to dethrone champion Ilia Topuria when they meet to unify the titles, most likely on June 14 at the South Lawn of the White House.
While reacting to Topuria’s recent announcement that he is back, Gaethje told Paramount UFC:
He [Ilia Topuria] better be back, because I’m supposed to fight him in June at the White House card. That’s who I’m fighting.”
Check out Justin Gaethje’s comments below:
The 37-year-old plans to retire from MMA by mid-2027 or even earlier if he suffers the same fate against Topuria as he did against Holloway. Justin Gaethje most recently told Zach Gelb:
I’m 37 years old now. I’d be a fool to think this is the beginning, and there’s no doubt we’re toward the end. But I don’t know. I think by mid-2027, I’ll be 100% done.”
Check out Justin Gaethje’s comments below:
