UFC 300: Max Holloway faceplants Justin Gaethje with all-time great KO in final second of fight

Max Holloway scored one of the greatest MMA knockouts of all time at UFC 300, faceplanting Justin Gaethje in the final second of their ‘BMF’ title fight.

The former featherweight champion was facing Gaethje in the latter’s preferred division, at 155lbs, but produced a masterclass over five rounds to put himself on the cusp of a decision win.

Yet with 10 seconds left on the clock, the Hawaiian looked at Gaethje and pointed at the canvas, calling on the American to trade hands in one final frenzied exchange. Gaethje obliged and was caught with a brutal overhand right, which floored the former interim champion and left him out cold, face-first on the mat.

It was a stunning ending to the most highly-anticipated fight of the night, at a historic event in Las Vegas, as Holloway took the ‘Baddest Motherf***er’ title from Gaethje in style.

Many had counted out Holloway, due to his ill-fated lightweight venture in 2019, when he lost on points to Dustin Poirier while challenging for the interim belt.

However, Holloway had more time to prepare his body for a lightweight bout on this occasion, and he looked healthy and comfortable in the Octagon, arguably winning the first four rounds before his mesmerising knockout.

In the final second of round one, the 32-year-old seemed to break Gaethje’s nose with a spinning back kick, and Holloway would repeat the move throughout the bout, constantly troubling his opponent with it.

After beating Gaethje, 35, Holloway called out reigning featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who took the 145lbs gold from Alexander Volkanovski in February.

Topuria knocked out Volkanovski, who previously went 3-0 against Holloway, to become champion, and the Georgian-Spaniard has since called on the UFC to stage an event in Madrid – preferably later in 2024.