Holloway earned the BMF” title and one of the violent knockouts in UFC historical past.
Within the waning seconds of the combat, Holloway pointed to the middle, swung, and faceplanted an obliging Gaethje unconscious – with one second left on the clock in Spherical 5.
Each fighters had been maybe extra cautious than anticipated in Spherical 1. Holloway confirmed off calculated persistence and exquisite point-fighting, whereas Gaethje returned with some laborious boxing of his personal.
A pivotal second occurred on the finish of Spherical 1. Because the horn sounded, Holloway landed a leaping again kick. His heel dug into the nostril of Gaethje, who held his face as he walked again to his nook. The injury was obvious because the lower man attended to him between rounds.
Issues bought worse for Gaethje in Spherical 2. As if being unable to breathe wasn’t unhealthy sufficient, Holloway poked him twice, as soon as in every eye. Referee Marc Goddard referred to as timeout on every foul, however didn’t take some extent.
In Spherical 3, Holloway landed some laborious photographs. Gaethje struggled to seek out rhythm. The pace benefit was apparent in Holloway’s favor.
Issues bought just a little extra fascinating in Spherical 4 because the monotony of a Holloway putting showcase was damaged. Gaethje landed a proper hand that knocked Holloway down. It was the primary registered knockdown in opposition to Holloway in. his profession.
Earlier than Spherical 5, coach Trevor Whitman tried to encourage his fighter, Gaethje, and referred to as for aggression all through the ultimate 5 minutes.
Holloway flipped that script although and shocked Gaethje with a violent, speed-changing mixture. Holloway drilled the physique with two punches, however Gaethje stayed upright and waved Holloway on.
Within the ultimate seconds, Holloway turned again time to his well-known swing-for-the-fences second with Ricardo Lamas from 2016 – solely this time with an alternate ending. Holloway knocked Gaethje unconscious with a large overhand proper.
Holloway, 32, prolonged his profitable streak to a few, a stretch that additionally contains victories over Arnold Allen and Chan Sung Jung.
Gaethje, 35, has a two-fight profitable streak snapped. He entered off consecutive victories over Rafael Fiziev and Poirier.