(Reuters) – Max Holloway's dramatic KO win over Justin Gaethje with one second left in Las Vegas on Saturday sealed the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) overall victory despite strong challenges from competitors. He has once again solidified his position as a leading fighter in the martial arts world.
The fact that the title at stake at UFC 300 — the “BMF” or “worst motherfucker ******” belt — was just an invention to pit fan favorites against each other in a brutal brawl steals the moment. It is not. 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 as he instructed Gaethje to stand on his toes, leading on the judges' scorecards. Holloway told reporters that he was preparing for the final battle.
“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 threw a flurry of punches until 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.
Whatever luster the PFL stole from the UFC quickly vanished less than 24 hours later when former champion and biggest star Kayla Harrison made her UFC debut with a dominant submission victory over Holly Holm.
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)
