“Max just smoked him?” – Fans ENRAGED as Max Holloway’s lightweight rankings debut falls below Justin Gaethje after UFC 300
The new lightweight rankings featuring Max Holloway as a top ten contender became a hotly debated topic on the internet.
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Max Holloway had an iconic performance at UFC 300 (Source: Instagram/IMAGO)
Max Holloway made the biggest statement of the year, if not all time, returning to 155 pounds. He went up against Justin Gaethje for the BMF title and delivered a once-in-a-lifetime knockout. It came at the very last second of their high-octane 5-round title scrap at UFC 300. However, that hasn’t bolstered a high ranking for him, and Gaethje still remains top five.
With a second remaining, he faceplanted Justin Gaethje with a fateful overhand jab. The highlight-reel KO came in Round 5 – at the exact mark of 4:59. At the time, play-by-play veteran Joe Rogan called it the greatest knockout ever and had quite a reaction to it. Even META bossman Mark Zuckerberg was in awe along with the rest of the crowd.
However, UFC Athlete Rankings have Max Holloway as the #9 top lightweight upon his re-entry. Breaking #3 ranked Justin Gaethje, the MMA community expected Holloway to be ranked higher. However, some fight fans have weighed in that his next few bouts might take place at 145 pounds. He has an active to-and-from dialogue going on with current champ Ilia Topuria.
However, other fans were left in a frenzy after the best-yet 3rd iteration of the ‘BMF’ fight. A prime reaction on X (@AjDuxche) read, “How is Justin above Max? Max just smoked him.” While ‘Blessed’ has moved up six spots in pound-for-pound rankings, fans expected a higher shift overall. They have reacted to it accordingly.
Fight fans react to Max Holloway’s new lightweight ranking
Last weekend, Hawaiian fighter Max Holloway made quite the mark, perhaps his best yet at UFC 300. The former champion and longtime featherweight mainstay defeated Justin Gaethje and bagged the BMF silver strap.
In doing so, he has become the only UFC fighter to hold all forms of Undisputed, interim, or custom title hardware. He also boosted his standing with major striking records and match participation stats. Additionally, fight fans have openly expressed their disappointment upon learning about Holloway’s lightweight ranking. Check out how they reacted:
Some have argued the ranking should be above Gaethje. Some have invoked the idea that with callouts made to Ilia Topuria, he might compete again at featherweight. Hence, such a ranking might just be justifiable for now. Fans have also taken a free pass at Official Athletes listings and rankings, stating they lose credibility daily. All in all, the matter has garnered quite a variety of reactions.
In case you missed it:
- Which fighter holds the throne for most knockouts in UFC history?
- Unimpressed Ilia Topuria claims Max Holloway’s BMF fight was ‘nothing special’
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