Max Holloway clinches BMF title clash with last-second knockout against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300

Max Holloway landed an explosive knockout of Justin Gaethje to win the lightweight BMF title at UFC 300 on Saturday.

The pair were fighting before the headline event of Alex Pereira v Jamahal Hill at the franchise’s third centenary event, and former featherweight champion Holloway was looking to land another title.

Gaethje was the defending BMF belt holder, but he started to fade when he took a spinning back kick to the face just as round two was about to end, bloodying his nose.

He finally answered back in round four when he connected with a heavy right-hand, but he could not force through a sustained change in momentum.

Both fighters probably knew that Holloway had done all he needed to in order to claim the win, but perhaps mindful of the $300,000 prizes up for grabs for the best performances, Holloway gestured to Gaethje to settle things in the middle of the Octagon in the dying seconds.

His opponent accepted the challenge and the pair started laying into one another, and with a second remaining, Holloway blasted a huge right-hand effort to leave Gaethje falling to the ground, face first.

In the aftermath of the fight, Holloway called for a fight with current lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev or featherweight titlist Ilia Topuria.

"I’m him, guys, I’m him," Holloway said. "El Matador [Topuria], he is running away from the bull and running for his life. Time to sign the contract. Spain, Hawaii, whatever. Even Islam. Islam is famous for defending against 45ers, right? I’m him. I’m right here.

"Any weight, I’m a gladiator. I don’t care. Whoever’s next, sign on the dotted line, let’s get it."

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