Max Holloway won’t be counting Justin Gaethje out.
‘The Highlight’ finds himself with a likely third opportunity at earning undisputed status in the UFC, having become a two-time interim lightweight champion in January.
To achieve that feat, Gaethje beat Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 to set up a unification fight with currently absent champion Ilia Topuria.
Max Holloway will fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 326, with the winner expected to be in line for a shot at either Topuria or Gaethje down the line.
Most appear to be expecting ‘El Matador’ to remain on the throne beyond his next fight, but Holloway thinks the reasoning behind such predictions is flawed.
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Max Holloway analyzes Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje
The Hawaiian fan favorite has experience sharing the Octagon with both champions. A few months before Holloway was knocked out by Topuria in Abu Dhabi, he viciously slept Gaethje with one second left on the clock at UFC 300.
Plenty are expecting the Spaniard to leave ‘The Highlight’ out cold, as he most recently did with Oliveira last June to become lightweight champion.
Many have used Gaethje’s performance against Pimblett to support that view, deeming that it proved his decline. Holloway, however, recently rejected that during an interview with Stake.
“You know, people seem to think that after Justin’s last fight, that means Ilia will win easily,” Holloway said.
“I think sometimes you have to do what Justin did against Paddy. You have to make it ugly and put people in a fight, when they’re not used to that style.
“I think Justin made that fight look how he wanted it to look, and congrats to him,” he added.
Ilia Topuria could end Justin Gaethje’s career in brutal fashion
On paper, the expected matchup presents the chance for Gaethje to finally reach the undisputed throne and for Topuria to record his first defense of the lightweight gold.
But the stakes go beyond that.
Having suggested that a defeat to Pimblett at UFC 324 would have ended his career, it stands to reason that ‘The Highlight’ will enter the Octagon this summer with the same retirement stipulation.
That means the kind of brutal KO fate that Topuria inflicted on both Holloway and Oliveira could spell the end of Gaethje’s career should he also fail to avoid it.
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