UFC 300 will feature a second title fight, where Justin Gaethje will challenge former champion Max Holloway. This news comes shortly after UFC CEO Dana White announced the women’s strawweight bout between champion Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan, marking the first title fight on ESPN+ pay-per-view – view. Holloway is trying to find Gaethje for this fight, and if successful, he can beat Islam Makhachev at UFC 300.
Cody Garbrandt and Beau Nicholl will defend the belt raised by the UFC last year against Gaethje to retain the title. Defeated Dustin Poirier at UFC 291. The BMF belt was introduced for the UFC 244 co-main event between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal, and to Gaethje’s credit, it became his belt.
While Gaethje was supposed to fight Islam Makhachev for the heavyweight title, he is now set to face Holloway. Holloway’s 13-fight winning streak ended with his first stoppage against Dustin Poirier at UFC 236.
Poirier emerged victorious by unanimous decision in a highly competitive contest to capture the interim heavyweight championship of the UFC. The current BMF title holder, Gaethje, confirmed his dominance by defeating Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 last July.
The co-headlining bout added a layer of intrigue to UFC 300 as the first lightweight contender to UFC and former short-time bantamweight champion Gaethje will face No. 1 ranked featherweight and 13-time UFC champion Holloway.
The 32-year-old Holloway has an impressive record (25 wins, 7 draws, 0 losses) and experience as a former champion, having defended the title three times. Max Holloway’s fight, coupled with the women’s eclectic championship match between Yan Xiaonan and champion Zhang Weili, set the stage for an unforgettable night of mixed martial arts.
According to Y!Sports, as UFC 300 kicks off, an exciting new addition has been added to the game: BMF (BMF) between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway Baddest Mother F*cker) Championship.
BADDEST MOTHER F****R 🥶
Beautiful violence incoming to #UFC300 🤩
Justin Gaethje. Max Holloway. BMF Title. SHEESH 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PUFm9i2IkB
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) January 17, 2024
The unification fight adds another layer of intrigue to UFC 300, as Gaethje is the No. 1-ranked fighter in the world. He is the 13th heavyweight champion of the UFC. In addition to the BMF title fight, UFC 300 will feature an easy matchup between heavyweights Jim Miller and Bobby Green, adding more to an already stacked card Fireworks.
Two-time former UFC champion Justin Gaethje (25-4) steps into the Octagon to defend his prestigious “BMF” title. In April 2023, in Kansas City, the 32-year-old former Honolulu, Hawaii, champion defeated Arnold Allen by unanimous decision.
The UFC announced on Tuesday that two new additions to the UFC 300 card will include Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway (Max Holloway for the BMF Championship). Jim Miller and Bobby Green are the top names in the lightweight division. Gaethje and Holloway will fight in a five-round lightweight bout, timed to coincide with a fight between women’s strawweight champion Yan Xiaonan and No. 20. Zhang Weili scored 2 points.
BREAKING NEWS:#UFC300 will have Jim Miller vs Bobby Green and Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway for the BMF Title at Lightweight pic.twitter.com/Cx1rbuWKfo
— danawhite (@danawhite) January 17, 2024
Gaethje holds the BMF title after defeating Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 last July. Gaethje (25-4-0), 35, is the UFC’s second-ranked lightweight contender and former interim bantamweight champion. He is a former lightweight world champion who successfully defended his title three times before losing the belt to Poirier at UFC 236 in 2019.
Former interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje is expected to return to the Octagon at UFC 300 in search of his first BMF title shot to face former bantamweight gold medalist Max Holloway in a highly anticipated duo event.
But Holloway, a former champion and former champion, is on a two-fight winning streak – he recently stopped Chung Chan-sung with his third KO victory on the show. Singapore will return in August. News that Justin Gaethje will return to BMF in April to face Max Holloway at UFC 300 came tonight via promotion CEO Dana White Confirmed on TV.
In 2020, former heavyweight champion Gaethje defeated former gold medalist Tony Ferguson again via TKO in the fifth round in Jacksonville, Florida. Hawaiian entertainer Holloway will get his first opportunity at lightweight since 2019 after losing a tag team title fight against the aforementioned Poirier.
Additionally, the ever-expanding UFC 300 card adds highlights between recent UFC Vegas 84 champion Jim Miller and the returning Bobby Green. UFC 300 features a strawweight bout between Chinese superstar defending champion Zhang Weili and challenger Yan Xiaonan.
UFC executive Dana White announced on Tuesday that BMF champion Justin Gaethje will face Max Holloway in an event on April 13 at T-Mobile in Las Vegas. Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has been looking for a lightweight title shot against Islam Makhachev after losing to Dustin Poirier in July.
However, White recently announced a title fight between Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan, leaving many outside observers wondering what Gaethje’s expectations are. If he wins, Gaethje will become the first man to defend his BMF title. On April 13, he defeated Poirier and Rafael Fiziev.
Holloway (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) moves up to heavyweight for the second time during his UFC reign. Holloway is known as the greatest UFC featherweight champion other than Alexander Volkanovski, who also lost – not the title. In October, Holloway called a fight. However, things have changed, and UFC 300 will be BMF’s third fight.
Fans reacted as follows:
I feel like it’ll be a disappointment but I hope it won’t be.
— Hamza Aman 🦉 (@hamza_aman96) January 17, 2024
Horrible fight for Max. Even in his prime he lost comfortably to Dustin at 155.
Will be a fun fight to watch though, unless you're a massive Holloway fan.
— stephen. (@dcfcstephen) January 17, 2024
Would love Max to win this . Hard hard fight against that Justin power
— Al Beveridge (@albev75) January 17, 2024
Seems like Max is going to have a bad day. And I really like max. Credit to him for taking this fight. Not sure it’s real
— mookstar* (@mookstar10) January 17, 2024
@KyleSosaa718 what’s Max’s record in 155? Ik Dustin beat him pretty comfortably. Im still taking Gaethje to starch him
— Dylan Vincent (@DylanCiliento) January 17, 2024
@Ralphyyyyy by godddd the fight I’ve dreamed of
— Jordan Marshall (@jordanmarshallu) January 17, 2024
Dreadful fight. Gutted they doing this to Max
— For Rucks Sake (@RucksSake) January 17, 2024
Very cringey that belt is called that
— __ (@paulc1989_) January 17, 2024
Awful match up. Justin will do whatever he wants to him.
— Degsy (@DefoNotDegsy) January 17, 2024
Not keen on this, last time we saw Holloway at LW he got plastered
— Fight Breakdown (@BreakdownFight_) January 17, 2024
Justin is the first in defend that belt in years… INCREDIBLE.
— Jean Dávila 𒌐 (@jcdav_berserk) January 17, 2024
Ones got serious power, the other hasn’t. Can only see it going 1 way, and early
— graham monteith (@grahamonteith) January 17, 2024
So what was the point of making this fight. now Islam is gonna sit out until October when he could've fought Justin or Charles
— Jay🤼♂️ (@JayMMA4) January 17, 2024
RIP to Max Holloway’s career 🪦 pic.twitter.com/zSFYvf77Ik
— Mᴀʀᴛʏs Hᴀɪʀʟɪɴᴇ (@MmaUnderdogs) January 17, 2024
Hope max and Justin will be close https://t.co/x3ddOb2ZV2
— Kenny Okoye🇳🇬 (@TruthfulUfcFan) January 17, 2024
I love Max but didn't his step up against DP show the power difference at 155? Might get good betting value on Gaethje, given Max’s name value.
— Doug Ziefel (@DougZiefel) January 17, 2024
Whole lotta non believers in this comment section. ion LIKE THAT 🤨🤨🤨https://t.co/T89ZV2ROKW
— 👻𝙶𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚝𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐👻 (@LordTheLoon) January 17, 2024
