UFC fighter Justin Gaethje says he has no regrets about his UFC 300 performance against Max Holloway.
In April 2024, Justin Gaethje stepped into the octagon to defend his BMF title against Max Holloway, but he suffered a shocking loss. The two engaged in an epic slugfest, with both fighters giving it their all and not backing down. In an iconic moment in UFC history, Max Holloway ended the fight with a last-second knockout that left Gaethje twitching and trying to get back up. Despite the defeat and the humiliation that followed, Gaethje admits he has no regrets about the fight.
“I’m glad I saw it,” Gaethje told reporters at UFC 313 Media Day. “From what I saw, I was trying to get up and fight. It’s just what I do. I choose ‘fight’ instead of ‘flight’ every single time, and that’s what I expect from myself: to try and get up.”
“I love fighting. I got my ass knocked out in the last fight, and I’m dying to get back in there and get that back,” Gaethje said. “At the end of the day, all these guys are very, very dangerous. We went through our options; I wanted [Arman] Tsarukyan or [Charles] Oliveira, but if I were them, I would never take the fight, and I do not blame them for that. [Renato] Moicano piped up but then didn’t take the fight. That was my best option. And then it was just ‘not fight,’ but I’ve been working so hard, that really wasn’t an option for me.”
Despite his past loss, Gaethje is eager to face his new opponent, Rafael Fiziev, and redeem himself. He was initially slated to face Dan Hooker, but Hooker had to pull out due to an injury.
“I’m grateful for [Fiziev]. He was halfway — probably more than halfway across the world, however big the world is. He took the fight. He came over here. I applaud him for that. I love to perform, and I was ready to perform. I was trying to make it happen.”
“If you’ve ever seen me fight, you know I will accept that challenge every single time,” Gaethje said. “When [Holloway] pointed at the ground, I said yes and ran to the middle. So absolutely.”
Gaethje believes that in his rematch with Rafael Fiziev in Las Vegas, fight fans will see a combination of his current style with the relentless approach he had during his WSOF days before he signed with the UFC.
