“I expect no mercy and give none,” Justin Gaethje reveals why he would NEVER fight Max Holloway

Justin Gaethje explains why he wouldn't defend his BMF title against Max Holloway.

“I expect no mercy and give none,” Justin Gaethje reveals why he would NEVER fight Max Holloway

Justin Gaethje gets called out by Max Holloway (Source: IMAGO)

Justin Gaethje is expecting to fight Islam Makhachev for the lightweight belt in 2024. In the meantime, he spoke about his BMF belt and potential opponents. In an interview with ESPN MMA, Gaethje said that Max Holloway is a worthy opponent for the BMF belt but he wouldn’t fight him.

If Gaethje was defending his BMF title, then there is no other opponent that is a perfect fit other than Max Holloway. When asked about why he wouldn’t fight him, the BMF champion said that he likes Holloway too much and wouldn’t prefer to punch him. He said that he is a fan of Holloway. However, he stated that if he had to fight him, he would.

I like him too much. I like him. He's a good dude. I don't know him personally but you know, I'm a fan of his. I don't prefer to punch him. But if I have to, I would I guess...I expect no mercy in there and give none. So, whoever fights me, it is what it is. But, I don't prefer it (Holloway).
Justin Gaethje (Interview with ESPN MMA)
YouTube video

Justin Gaethje won the BMF belt against Dustin Poirier in UFC 291. He landed a head kick which knocked Poirier out cold. The UFC promised him a shot at the undisputed title after Charles Olivera. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Olivera got injured before his title fight against Islam Makhachev and pulled out from the fight. So, now Gaethje has to wait for his shot at the lightweight gold.

FS Video

Moreover, Justin Gaethje ruled out the possibility of fighting anyone else and said that he was willing to wait for the title shot. While Max Holloway called Gaethje out, the latter wasn’t too keen on that prospect.

Justin Gaethje praised Islam Makhachev on his win over the featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski

Islam Makhachev defended his lightweight belt against Alexander Volkanovski in UFC 294. He knocked out Volkanovski in the very first round of the fight. A head kick that he landed put Volkanovski on the ground. A few hammer fists after that sealed the deal for Makhachev. This performance from Makhachev impressed the BMF champion Justin Gaethje.

Justin Gaethje – The BMF Champion (via Wikipedia)

Justin Gaethje took to Twitter to praise the lightweight champion. He said that was one heck of a performance. He also hinted at his fight against him and said that he has a mountain to climb. Their matchup is expected to go down after Makhachev defends his belt against Olivera.

Heck of a performance by Islam. I have a mountain to climb.
Justin Gaethje (via X)

Justin Gaethje won his BMF title against Dustin Poirier. Before that, he won a fight against the rising contender Rafael Fiziev via majority decision. These two wins over notable contenders make him the perfect choice for the title challenger. He also stated that he would wait for his turn if Olivera was competing for the lightweight gold next.

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