The dust over UFC 300 might have settled a long time back, but the electrifying clash between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway is still pretty fresh in many people’s minds. The last-second knockout was an iconic moment that will probably go down in UFC history as one of the best fights ever. Even after 10 months or even more, the fight is still etched in ‘The Highlight’s’ memory. But why are we rambling on about this now though?
Gaethje opened up about the fight with Holloway recently on his YouTube channel and came clean about his mental experience. Home of Fight released a video clip on X where a fan named Gloadin_31 asked, “What has been your hardest fight mentally?”
He immediately answered without a thought, “I think the Max fight was very difficult, especially for me because I had never used a 145-pounder I had never pictured or dreamt or thought that I would ever fight anybody and he came along. It was a mental challenge to get myself there. And yeah that was a tough one.”
Justin Gaethje admitted that his fight with Max Holloway was the toughest he had faced mentally:
“He’s a 145 pounder, I never dreamt or thought that I would ever fight him.”
@Justin_Gaethje pic.twitter.com/GSKwVMb3Qj
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) February 18, 2025
Gaethje is known for his spartan war style. He found himself unable to use his strengths against Holloway. Maybe since his fortitude was challenged by Holloway inside the cage it was a hard fight for him. Holloway brought a version of himself that Gaethje did not expect nor was he prepared for when he fought with him at UFC 300.
When the fight was announced, for the BMF belt, many questioned the point of it. The majority wrote off Holloway, considering his unsuccessful stint at lightweight against Dustin Poirier. But, Holloway had a plan- he put on weight the right way and came up as a proper lightweight. He was quick and carried his power to the weight class. In fact, Poirier himself predicted that Holloway could surprise everyone at UFC 300. God bless the ‘Hot Sauce Boss’ because Max delivered and how!
The former featherweight champ broke Gaethje’s nose right at the buzzer of the first round. It was all Holloway thereafter. Gaethje put up a fight and went down like a BMF should. But this was not the only fight that was a ‘tough’ night for the human highlight reel.
Justin Gaethje reveals his toughest opponent to date
Khabib’s final UFC opponent, Justin Gaethje, who’s known to be one of the most violent fighters MMA has ever seen, opened up on what fighting ‘The Eagle’ was like. ‘The Highlight’ is so dangerous that he even won a round against ‘The Eagle’ even though Khabib had the last word. He admitted that there is no one as tough as Khabib.
“I think Khabib was probably the one who I felt [was the toughest]. Even if I performed better, I’m not sure I could have beat him on that night specifically,” Justin Gaethje revealed about the 29-0 Hall of Famer. “So that night that I fought Khabib, I’d say that he was my toughest opponent to date.”
‘The Eagles’s dominance was such that winning a round against him was a huge moral victory in and of itself. The only two people to have done that – Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje. Khabib even admitted that Gaethje was the opponent who hit him the hardest. The undefeated star was even starting to feel Gaethje’s leg kicks before he eventually submitted him.
But just how dominant was Khabib at UFC 254? Put it this way. He decided to go for a triangle choke instead of an armbar when he had Gaethje mounted. Why? Because his Gaethje’s were in attendance and he did not want to hurt him in front of them. You know what’s even better? He had Gaethje locked in for a submission right at the end of the first round and the challenger was saved by the bell. So it’s no surprise Gaethje admitted he could not have beaten Khabib that night.
He also said that his dream fight would be against Khabib’s protegee Islam Makhachev. For now, Gaethje is preparing to fight Dan Hooker at UFC 313 but he is already dreaming ahead. Do you think Gaethje can establish himself again after his loss against Holloway? Can he do this and then maybe fight Makhachev? Tell your thoughts in the comments below.
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