New video shows Max Holloway’s instant backstage reaction after legendary Justin Gaethje knockout

Max Holloway, YouTube

Max Holloway is indeed a true BMF.

The former UFC featherweight champion and newly minted lightweight contender released behind-the-scenes video on Monday documenting the before and after of his now-legendary UFC 300 bout against Justin Gaethje. The footage, which published on Holloway’s YouTube channel, shows Holloway’s arrival to Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena alongside his team, a friendly exchange with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg during warm-ups, and Holloway’s immediate reaction following his unbelievable knockout of Gaethje.

Despite being well ahead on the scorecards, Holloway called Gaethje to the center of the cage in the bout’s final 10 seconds and initiated a furious exchange, ultimately landing an iconic knockout at the 4:59 mark of the third round to win the UFC’s ceremonial “BMF” belt.

Watch Holloway’s journey above.

“That last 10 seconds was for you. All week, you told me, ‘Just throw,’” Holloway says over the phone while sitting in the backstage medical tent immediately after the bout. “All week. I was hurting him, I was hurting, but f****** a hurt lion is more dangerous. Every time I hurt him, he had the craziest look in his eyes. I was like, ‘F*** this. I ain’t trying nothing dumb.”

Holloway is now a top contender in both the featherweight and lightweight division, having caught the eye of UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. In a Monday interview with The Pat McAfee Show, Holloway compared fighting Gaethje to “going through the gates of hell.”