'That's some bullsh*t': Max Holloway believes Justin Gaethje deserves credit for first UFC career knockdown

BMF winner Max Holloway believes Justin Gaethje should be credited with first knockdown of his UFC career.

Max Holloway has never been knocked down in his UFC career. That’s what the official fight stats say, anyway.

At UFC 300, Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) was clipped clean by a punch from Justin Gaethje during the fourth round of their BMF title fight. The moment happened in a blink of an eye. Gatheje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) landed, Holloway hit the canvas and popped right back up to his feet, appearing no worse for wear. Apparently, the statistician thought Holloway slipped.

“It didn’t count as a drop, which is crazy,” Holloway said on the “JRE MMA Show”. “ESPN is posting and saying like in however many fights I’m with the UFC, I still didn’t get dropped. That’s some bullsh*t. Give Justin that one. Like, I’ll take it, you know what I mean? But I wouldn’t be a man sitting here and telling you that he didn’t.”

There was only one knockdown officially recorded by UFC Stats, which is the frontrunner for Knockout of the Year, when Holloway slept Gaethje with one second remaining in the fight. Joe Rogan dubbed it the greatest knockout of all time.

Obviously, there’s no debating how to score the fight-ending blow, but the shot that Gaethje did connect with in Round 4 clearly knocked Holloway off his feet. The point is somewhat moot, considering Holloway epically closed the show. However, since the former featherweight champ never hit the canvas in his previous 28 UFC bouts, it was a significant occurrence for Holloway’s career.

“Blessed” doesn’t appear bothered that the moment happened, but rather that Gaethje wasn’t given the proper credit for it. Holloway chalks it up to a solid strike from one of the most dangerous fighters in the game.

“Bro, I don’t even remember getting hit with that punch,” Holloway said. “And then I sat, and I came back up. I was like, ‘What the – what did he just hit me with?’ You know what I mean? I was like, ‘Holy sh*t!’ I was like, ‘That was a good punch.’

“Then when I rewatched it, he hit me like right on the top of my dome. I was like, ‘Holy smack, brother. This guy smacks.’ I was fine as soon as I got up, but it was one of those like, ‘Boom.’ The legs just give out. Like, I was still there, even when I was standing, I was looking at him. But I don’t know how that didn’t count as a drop. I don’t know what they count as a drop. … That was crazy.”