Despite losing the “BMF” title fight at UFC 300 to Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje congratulated his opponent and updated fans on his condition, stating he was in good spirits.
Justin Gaethje? Yeah, he’s a beast in the octagon, no doubt. But outside of it? He’s as gentlemanly as they come.
He recently suffered a gut-wrenching loss at the UFC 300 “BMF” title fight. Yet, the man’s spirit remained unbroken. He’s always been a thrill to watch, a human highlight reel of sorts.
After the fight, he took a moment to commend his opponent, Max Holloway. A classy move, if you ask me. He even took to Twitter to share his thoughts.
“I’m in great spirits with my family,” he wrote. “Thanks for all the love. What a sport. Max Holloway, you’re a dog. Congrats. Well deserved double bonus.”
It was a rough night for Gaethje, no doubt. He suffered a nasty broken nose in the opening round, courtesy of a spinning back kick from Holloway. That injury haunted him throughout the fight, with Holloway relentlessly targeting it.
Despite his mangled nose, Gaethje didn’t back down. He gave Holloway a run for his money, even scoring a knockdown that was later ruled a slip.
The end came in the final 10 seconds of the fight. Holloway pointed to the ground, inviting Gaethje to trade punches with him. Holloway then unleashed a devastating right hand that sent Gaethje crashing face first to the canvas.
The fight ended with just one second left on the clock.
Not the outcome Gaethje had hoped for, especially with so much at stake. A win would’ve almost guaranteed him a title shot at reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. But that’s all water under the bridge now.
Instead, Gaethje has to lick his wounds and live to fight another day. Holloway ended his night in dramatic fashion.
But hey, it’s not all bad news. Gaethje walked away with an extra $300,000 for earning Fight of the Night honors. Holloway got the same, along with another $300,000 for Performance of the Night at UFC 300.