Max Holloway is coming off one of the most thrilling knockouts in UFC history. Now, as the BMF Champion looks ahead, Holloway knows the exact fight he wants next.
As the historic UFC 300 card came to form earlier in the year, MMA fans had one fight circled in ink — the BMF Championship bout between Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje.
The two share similar styles of fighting that fans gravitate toward. The term gladiator is synonymous with Holloway and Gaethje, and their performance at UFC 300 only cemented that notion.
As the clock ticked down in the final round, Holloway pointed to the center of the octagon and challenged Gaethje. He connected on a fierce hook and sent Gaethje face-first into the mat — with only one second to spare.
Holloway took home $600k in bonuses, as Dana White named the BMF title match the best of the night, and Holloway’s stoppage as the best knockout on the card.
The 32-year-old must recover from damage sustained during the brawl, but he wasted little time calling his shot for the next fight. “Conor [McGregor] likes to consider himself a BMF, right?” Holloway asked rhetorically during the UFC 300 post-fight press conference.
“It’d be hard not to say [Conor McGregor],” Holloway said to a reporter the next day. “With him finally getting announced that he’s actually fighting, that’d be the hugest fight, I think.”
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Max Holloway says if he could fight anyone next, he’d pick Conor McGregor. He also says that Ilia Topuria is most likely his next opponent 👀 “It’d be hard not to say, with it finally getting announced that he’s actually fighting, Conor [McGregor] 2 to run it back. That’s the… pic.twitter.com/Csb1MrtkZn
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 16, 2024
The two men fought over a decade before either became the megastars they are today. McGregor won the match by decision, even after tearing his ACL early in the contest.
All these years later, that loss still weighs heavily on Holloway’s mind. It’s one of the few blemishes on his sparkling UFC record.
McGregor congratulated Holloway on social media after the fight, simply saying, “Congrats, Max!” with a wink-face emoji at the end, possibly hinting at a rematch between the two.
“Mystic Mac” will fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303, but he’s repeatedly said he desires multiple matches in 2024. And Holloway certainly makes sense if the BMF Champion wants another fight in the fall.
A showdown against McGregor means a handsome payday for everyone involved. That reason alone is enough incentive for Holloway to make this callout. The fact that the two have history adds an extra wrinkle for MMA fans.