It has only been a few hours since UFC 300 aired, but the fans have been building the hype for the last few days. There were a lot of expectations from the different match cards, with each fighter having the backing of their fanbase. Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje was one of the matches that had a lot riding on it.
Justin Gaethje entered the ring as the BMF Champion. After a great match, he lost the title to Max Holloway in the most iconic way possible. Even though it was a great match, one thing attracted the attention of the anime fans, especially the One Piece fandom. The finish of the match reminded them of their favorite protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy.
Max Holloway Is A Monkey D. Luffy Fan
Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje both belong to the Lightweight Division. Their match would have five rounds. The way the match was progressing, it was as if it would depend on the judges to decide the winner since both of them were trying their best to outlast the other. It was a game of exchanging blows, and neither of them used any submission holds. But just before the end, Max Holloway sealed his victory most dramatically.
Gear 5 Holloway #UFC300 pic.twitter.com/A2DRWZ4kFO
— José Youngs (@JoseYoungs) April 14, 2024
The match was supposed to end after the stopwatch counted five minutes in round five. At 4:59 minutes, Holloway landed a decisive jab on Gaethje’s right cheek, and the latter immediately fell to the ground, signaling a knockdown. It was enough to crown Holloway as the new BMF champion. After becoming the champion, he did a photo session with the title. He was wearing a red sweatshirt with Gear 5 Monkey D. Luffy’s picture in the middle, and the belt on his right shoulder.
The One Piece fandom could not hold their excitement after watching Max Holloway don the Luffy look. They might be more than happy to welcome another celebrity into their fanbase. Apart from that, the fans have also found Holloway’s knockout jab to be similar to Monkey D. Luffy’s Gomu Gomu no jet pistol.
Max Holloway Had One Of The Greatest Nights In His Career
Max Holloway was the underdog, and the last-second knockout at the end of round five became the highlight of UFC 300. Before winning the BMF title, he had won the UFC Featherweight Championship once and the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship once. Officially, it is his third title in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Apart from being the man of the night, he also made a lot of profit.
The President of UFC, Dana White, changed the post-fight bonuses to $300,000 from $50,000. So, Max Holloway won $300,000 from the Performance of the Night and $300,000 from Fight of the Night. It made him a profit of $600,000. All in all, it was a pretty great night for the new BMF champion.
The One Piece fans are hopeful that he might gift them more iconic fights like this. Maybe he can even strike a pose from the iconic anime after defending his title. There are several instances where UFC fighters have paid tribute to anime characters. Max Holloway is the latest to enter that elite list.
