Max Holloway, be on your guard against BMF title curse

Max Holloway became the third BMF champion in UFC history at UFC 300. With the knockout victory against Justin Gaethje, Holloway cemented his position in the pantheon of legends. In the final 10 seconds of the fight, Holloway called upon his inner BMF to stand and bang with Gaethje. Holloway was already up in the scorecards at the time. Nobody would’ve blamed the Hawaiian if he had chosen to kill time to win the BMF title.

Nonetheless, Holloway is not a nobody. He had already stated earlier that people like him and Gaethje were born in the wrong era. Both fighters considered themselves and each other as gladiators. With the victory, the future of Holloway has become bright, but there is a caveat. Holloway had positioned himself well at both the featherweight and lightweight divisions as he called out champions from both divisions. However, no BMF champion had ever won since they won the symbolic title.

Jorge Masvidal, the first BMF champion, lost 4 in a row after he won the BMF title and retired from the UFC. Justin Gaethje, the second BMF champion, has now lost via brutal KO. Of course, winning the BMF title would accompany tough matchups. Now, in the case of Max Holloway, his potential opponents due to his BMF title victory are Ilia Topuria, Islam Makhachev, and Conor McGregor. There is a chance Holloway could head into the bout as an underdog, except for the McGregor fight.

Jorge Masvidal after he won the BMF title

Jorge Masvidal became the inaugural BMF champion with a doctor stoppage victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 244. Before UFC 244, he had upset the odds and knocked out Darren Till and Ben Askren, two elite contenders at welterweight. However, after the BMF title triumph, he lost four consecutive fights – to Kamaru Usman (x2), Colby Covington, and Gilbert Burns.

In the first fight against Usman for the welterweight title, on short notice at UFC 251, he succumbed to a decision loss. What followed was disastrous, as the rematch against Usman at UFC 261 did not fare any better. Masvidal suffered his first knockout loss in the UFC (second overall in MMA). He had lost via TKO before, but the sight of Masvidal on the canvas, separated from consciousness, was brutal.

Masvidal lost unanimously in his final two fights in the UFC on the scorecard. However, he did have moments of brilliance in those fights. During the fight against Covington, he even scored a knockdown but failed to capitalize. Despite his striking prowess, Burns was wary of the counterattacks from Masvidal. Nonetheless, Masvidal never won a fight after winning the BMF title, which is the bottom line.

Justin Gaethje after he won the BMF title

After Jorge Masvidal retired at UFC 287, the UFC booked a BMF title fight between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier. After a first round that saw Poirier gain the upper hand, Gaethje scored a second-round head kick knockout. Gaethje tried to land the head-kick in the first round until it landed for him in the second.

After he won the BMF title, everything went wrong for Gaethje. The victory should’ve guaranteed him a title shot against the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev. Unfortunately, Oliveira injured himself, and Alexander Volkanovski stepped in on short notice. Moreover, Arman Tsarukyan quickly knocked out Beneil Dariush, setting up a number-one contender fight at UFC 300.

The Tsarukyan vs. Oliveira matchup further put him back on the line. Moreover, in the fight against Holloway, his nose broke in the first round. Moreover, the knockout loss, coupled with the facial injuries, has put Gaethje out for a long time. It’s unlikely he would return like before, as he is not on the right side of 30. Nonetheless, Gaethje has suffered only bad luck after he won the BMF title, which is the bottom line.

Will Max Holloway break the BMF title curse?

There have not been many superstitious curses in MMA. The most popular one is the ‘Drake Curse.’ However, many fighters like Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira, and Paddy Pimblett have broken the curse, and some still believe in the curse. Nevertheless, nobody has ever broken the BMF title curse. With Max Holloway as the new BMF champion, there is a chance that it can broken.

Holloway has a penchant for setting a precedent. In the UFC’s official stats, nobody has knocked him down. Dustin Poirier came close to doing it, and Justin Gaethje did, too. Moreover, Holloway had knocked out the Korean Zombie at UFC Singapore. He did not just score a knockout; he faceplanted the South Korean fighter. Now, he became the first fighter to faceplant Gaethje as well.

Holloway has the best chance to break the BMF title curse. Stylistically, he has a favorable matchup with Oliveira. Moreover, against McGregor, he will have the edge in cardio in a 5-round fight, particularly as the Irishman has not fought in almost three years. Furthermore, against Makhachev, he has the style to eke out a decision if he maintains his distance and pokes and prods.

In case you missed it!

• Max Holloway Net Worth, MMA Career, Income, Personal life, massive earnings, and more
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