Former UFC Lightweight title challenger Justin Gaethje won the BMF title last year by beating Dustin Poirier by KO. Fast-forward to April 13 and he’ll be defending the title against Max Holloway, a true legend of the UFC Featherweight Division.
Justin Gathje (25-4) vs Max Holloway (25-7) Odds
Justin Gathje – 170
Max Holloway + 140
When, Where, and How to Watch?
Place: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: Saturday, April 13, 2024
Time: ~10:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: PPV
Less than two years ago, Justin Gaethje fought Charles Oliveira for the UFC Lightweight title. He lost the fight by submission, after which people started saying he was past his prime. But he proved everyone wrong by bearing Muay Thai sensation Rafael Fiziev in the spring of 2023.
Just four months later, he was given a shot at the symbolic Bad MF’er title, which he won by KO-ing Dustin Poirier. Now, it’s time to defend the title. If he pulls it off, it’s only logical to assume that his ambitions will skyrocket, and The Highlight might start demanding another shot at the UFC Lightweight title.
So, can he beat Max Holloway? He’s got the motivation to do it, but what about his skillset? Well, Gaethje is a fantastic wrestler who uses wrestling skills mainly for defense. His strongest offensive weapon, however, is striking. The evidence of this is that 20 of his 25 wins happened by KO/TKO. The bad news for him is that Holloway is an even more prolific striker than him.
Max Holloway is 25-7 with most of his fights happening in the featherweight division. In fact, the only time he fought a lightweight opponent in the UFC was in the title fight against Dustin Poirier in 2019. The Diamond beat him by unanimous decision.
He doesn’t have much experience with lightweight opponents, but he’s faced the who’s who of the UFC Featherweight division. Blessed has defeated several elite fighters including Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo, and even Charles Oliveira while he was still in the 145lb division. He also fought Alexander Volkanovski three times but lost each of those fights by submission. Speaking of his losses, Holloway has only lost one fight inside the distance, with zero losses by KO/TKO in his nearly 14-year-long professional career.
