Max Holloway Has Reminder for Justin Gaethje After Recent Topuria Damage Claims
Max Holloway has challenged the UFC lightweight champion's recent confidence with a painful reminder.
Justin Gaethje is a hard-hitter, and while Ilia Topuria's broken orbital bones and fractured septum are convincing on their own, 'The Highlight' believes it isn't an isolated case. Max Holloway, however, isn't buying it.
Max Holloway Haunts Gaethje with UFC 300 Reminder
Returning to the public eye recently, 'El Matador' boldly accused Gaethje of cheating with loaded gloves in their last UFC White House encounter. The American entertained none of that, dismissing it as an excuse.
“People don’t believe that. I’ve done that to everybody’s face that I fought," Gaethje brushed off the conspiracy, speaking with Joe Andaloro on Instagram. Although UFC regulator Andy Foster himself shut down Topuria's claims, Holloway is more interested in picking apart something else.
Reposting MMAFighting's post on X, Holloway mocked the Highlight with a portrait of himself from the aftermath of their hyped BMF title fight at UFC 300. The picture showed next to no facial damage.
https://t.co/6uKsRN6URV pic.twitter.com/JTTxOliW6G
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) September 17, 2026
The pair faced each other in an anticipated showdown only two years ago for the BMF title. 'Blessed' knocked out Gaethje cold with just one second left on the clock, earning both Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses. However, Holloway was not done shattering his heavy-hitting reputation.
Despite going the full distance, it was Gaethje who came out with more damage. Holloway, on the other hand, looked almost unscathed.
It surely does not discredit the threat the lightweight champion still presents, with his ruthless victories against Tony Ferguson, Rafael Fiziev, and Dustin Poirier. Even the Dagestani phenom Khabib Nurmagomedov, who eventually submitted Gaethje, admitted that the Highlight hits like a truck. Yet, Holloway is a clear exception.
Max Holloway Looking for a Rematch with Gaethje
Max Holloway has not buried the hatchet with Justin Gaethje. Soon after a lacklustre bout with Conor McGregor in July, after the Irishman tore his ACL within just 69 seconds, Holloway took to his YouTube channel to call out potential challengers.
"If it's not Conor, give your boy a title shot. Me and Justin got history. You know it's gonna be a striking war, so why not?" Holloway quipped.
While both Notorious and Blessed haven't ruled out a trilogy, McGregor is currently undergoing surgery for his knee injury. That leaves Holloway with an uncertain comeback timeline, making a rematch with Gaethje his only viable option.
The UFC lightweight king, however, has yet to confirm his return to the Octagon, which he has shared depends entirely on his family and his team. What's sure, however, is that the American fighter has no intention of getting back into the cage for quite a while. In 2026, recovering from past injuries seems to be his only priority.
As tensions flare up again between the old rivals and Holloway keeps driving for a rematch, a second meeting between the pair could be back on the table.
