Written by Philip O'Connor
(Reuters) – Max Holloway's stunning knockout of Justin Gaethje with one second left in Las Vegas on Saturday ended the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) mixed martial arts fight despite strong challenges from competitors. His position as one of the world's leading players has been solidified once again.
The fact that the title at stake at UFC 300, the “BMF” or “Worst Motherfucker” belt, was simply an invention to pit fan favorites against each other in violent brawls undoes the moment. isn't it. Perhaps that adds to it.
“This is a moment. This is what BMF is about. If that's not a BMF moment, I don't know what is,” he said on the judges' scorecards when he asked Gaethje to stand on tiptoe. Holloway, who was in the lead, told reporters it was the final showdown.
“Tonight was the perfect embodiment of what that belt was made for. Look up 'BMF' and you'll find a picture of that fight in the dictionary,” UFC president Dana White said on the card. After the event, he was all smiles while speaking to the media.
As the clock ticked down in the fifth and final round, Hawaiian Holloway pointed to the center of the cage and invited Gaethje to meet him there. The two men threw a flurry of punches, but Gaethje suddenly folded up like the Strip's famous poolside deck chair. The hotel was cold and knocked out.
Hosting its 300th major fight card in history, the UFC delivered on its promise of an unforgettable night of fights, with Alex Pereira and Weili Zhang retaining their respective titles, but it was Holloway who stole the headlines.
The Professional Fighters League, which has a unique regular-season and playoff format, recently made a big move, acquiring UFC rival Bellator and holding its own card in Las Vegas on Friday.
The shine PFL stole from the UFC quickly faded as former champion and biggest star Kayla Harrison made her UFC debut with a dominant submission victory over Holly Holm less than 24 hours later.
The biggest obstacle the PFL faces in its quest to compete is that the UFC's history is effectively the history of MMA, and the PFL has the resources, roster, and brand recognition needed to continue dominating the sport. is.
“When you have a night that looks like the best in martial arts history on paper and it definitely pays off, it's awesome,” White said.
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Claire Fallon)
