Move over Alexander Volkanovski, Dana White has a new featherweight GOAT, and his name is Max Holloway.
On April 13, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will deliver its biggest card yet when the promotion celebrates its latest landmark event, UFC 300, in Las Vegas. Fans in Sin City and those watching around the world will be treated to two epic title tilts as both the light heavyweight and women’s strawweight straps are up for grabs in the co-main and main events.
However, it’s “the people’s main event” between Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje that has everyone counting down the number of sleeps until fight night.
Appearing on a recent episode of First Take with Stephen A. Smith to hype up Saturday’s festivities, the UFC CEO dubbed Holloway the “greatest featherweight of all time” while previewing his clash with Gaethje.
“Max Holloway, always a big fan favorite,” White said. “Probably the greatest featherweight of all time, going up against Gaethje, who is a human highlight reel.”
Dana White Discusses the History of the BMF Title and How Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje Came About
Aside from a potential lightweight title opportunity, Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje will battle it out for the right to be known as the UFC’s baddest motherf*cker. Currently, ‘The Highlight’ is the holder of the coveted bragging rights belt — the BMF title — but that could all change this weekend when he goes toe-to-toe with one of the greatest strikers the sport has ever seen.
It will be just the third time that the BMF belt has been up for grabs since its introduction in a 2019 headliner between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. ‘Gamebred’ won the title and wore it proudly for four years, though he never once defended it before riding off into retirement.
Fast forward to July 2023, Justin Gaethje laid claim to the belt with a sensational second-round head-kick KO against Dustin Poirier at UFC 291.
“The idea of the ‘BMF’ was built right here in this room,” White told Smith from his Las Vegas office. “There’s always these fights that the fans love, whether it’s a Masvidal vs. Diaz, you know, those types of fights — Gaethje and Holloway. We were sitting in here one day and thought about building this ‘BMF’ title and who’s better fit for this thing than Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway?
“We thought about it in here. I told the guys, ‘Tell me if I’m crazy, but what do you think of this idea?’ They loved it, the fans love it, and here we go.”
Check out the official preview for Gaethje vs. Holloway at UFC 300:
