There’s no scarcity of iconic in-cage moments in the UFC. The sport’s consistent output in this aspect is commendable, and the best UFC moments are unlike any other sport. One such moment that’s guaranteed to be remembered for a lifetime happened at UFC 300 in April last year between Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje.
Be it Conor McGregor’s 13-second finish against Jose Aldo, Jorge Masvidal’s flying knee KO of Ben Askren, or Anderson Silva’s front kick to the face against Vitor Belfort, UFC fighters know how to create highlight-worthy moments. There were a lot of expectations from UFC’s 300th event.
Surprisingly, Holloway-Gaethje wasn’t even the co-main event. That spot was reserved for Weili Zhang and Yan Xiaonan. However, the two lightweights provided not only the moment of the night, but arguably one of the most iconic sequences of all time. The buzz was unmatched, and all the praise was well deserved.
The fighters went five full rounds. And as soon as Holloway heard the 10-second clap go off, he asked Gaethje to step to the middle of the cage. The final 10 seconds were no less than a movie. Holloway and Gaethje kept the fight on their feet, throwing as many punches as they possibly could in a limited time frame at each other.
The knockout that will live in our minds forever! 👊
— UFC (@ufc) April 13, 2025
One year ago today at #UFC300, @BlessedMMA knocked out Justin Gaethje in an all time showdown! pic.twitter.com/ZfsGY2FYNT
Holloway connected his last right hand, sending Gaethje to the mat. He won the fight by KO. Later, it was selected for Performance of the Night (Holloway) and Fight of the Night honors. On the one-year anniversary, fans couldn’t help but reminisce, labeling it as something that’ll be remembered for years.
Fans remember the heroics of Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje
On April 13th, the official X account of UFC posted a clip of the Holloway-Gaethje fight, which also included their final showdown. The post was captioned, “The knockout that will live in our minds forever!” Although no fight fan would’ve forgotten about the final 10 seconds, it refreshed a lot of memories.
Several fans took to the replies to share their thoughts. One fan wrote, “This will be replayed for years to come.”
This will be replayed for years to come
— ourtimeisnow (@ourtimeisnowx) April 13, 2025
Another fan wrote that Holloway sent Gaethje to the “shadow realm” with his final blow. The former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion didn’t come to his senses for a while after being knocked out. The fan wrote, “Monster. Sent him to the Shadow Realm. I remember this one.”
Monster. Sent him to the Shadow Realm. I remember this one.
— Daniel de la Fé (@dandelafe) April 13, 2025
Fans have their own rankings of favorite fights. No matter who one favors, the Holloway-Gaethje fight, especially the final round, belongs in the top 10 conversation. A fan wrote, “hands down one of the top 10 best fights & KOs in ufc history.”
hands down one of the top 10 best fights & KOs in ufc history@danawhite we need paddy & max!!
— DudeStellar 🧱 (@duudestellar) April 14, 2025
One fan stated that it’s nearly impossible to forget about the UFC 300 fight. The fan wrote, “Yep we will never forget that one! Insane finish.”
Yep we will never forget that one! Insane finish
— Captain Dividend ⚓️💰 (@CptnDividend) April 13, 2025
Since then, Holloway and Gaethje have fought once in the UFC. While Holloway lost his fight against Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, Gaethje won his last fight recently against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313.
Prateek is a seasoned content writer with over 2500 published articles and two+ years of experience. His passion for UFC was ignited during Conor McGregor’s meteoric rise, and closely following McGregor’s journey inspired him to bring a sharp, fan-driven perspective to his UFC coverage, blending detailed analysis with compelling storytelling.
