Can You Make a Case for 2024 MMA Fight of the Year Beside Holloway & Gaethje War at UFC 300?

Plenty of books, movies and TV shows have left a sour taste in people’s mouths due to their bad endings. Having a fantastic finale can make up for nearly anything that came before it. When it comes to MMAfighting latest news, no fight produced such a thrilling conclusion as the battle between Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.
There are likely cases that could be made that there were other fights in 2024 that were better from beginning to end. By the time Gaethje and Holloway made it to the fifth round, it was clear that Holloway was going to win a decision unless something spectacular happened for Gaethje.
The two men produced something beyond what even the most enthusiastic fans of the matchup thought was possible. While there may have been fights that were more even from bell to bell, none produced the moment that Gaethje and Holloway did. That’s why the bout is Boxing News’ 2024 Fight of the Year.
Holloway Agrees to Come Up in Weight

The fight with Holloway and Gaethje wasn’t one that would have been Holloway’s first choice. Holloway was stuck behind Alexander Volkanovski in the featherweight division. While Holloway would later get a shot at the belt again, it wouldn’t be until Ilia Topuria knocked out Volkanovski.
So Holloway decided to take a fight that the people wanted. Holloway, the former featherweight champion, chose to fight former interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. Gaethje had just claimed the “BMF” title by knocking out Dustin Poirier with a head kick. There was a thought Gaethje may get another shot at the belt if he could knock off Holloway.
Gaethje Couldn’t Catch Holloway

The Hawaiian native controlled most of the fight with Gaethje. He leaned on his speed and superior boxing to control the action. Holloway landed 181 significant strikes, compared to 103 from Gaethje.
The closest round on the stat sheet was the fourth round, where both men landed 35 punches. All three judges gave Gaethje the fourth round. When it comes to MMA breaking news, the scorecards released following the fight showed Gaethje was behind two rounds on two of the judges’ scorecards and was tied on the other.
Gaethje needed to win by knockout if he had any chance of getting his hand raised.
The Point
In a brazen moment of confidence, Holloway pointed to the center of the octagon with around 10 seconds remaining. He was inviting the trailing Gaethje to stand with him and exchange. It was remarkable because Holloway didn’t need to get a knockout.
But what followed made it worth it not only for Holloway but for anyone who had the fortune to see it live. Gaethje and Holloway both winged wild punches from in close. Holloway ended up catching Gaethje flush on the chin and earning the knockout win with one second remaining.
Du Plessis Proves He Belongs at Top
There are several other strong contenders for Fight of the Year. Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya’s battle at UFC 305 certainly merits a mention. Du Plessis won the championship in a split decision against Sean Strickland in January.
However, the fight everyone wanted to see was his battle with Adesanya. Du Plessis and Adesanya had exchanged plenty of nasty trash talk during the lead up to their bout. When the fight started, du Plessis did back down, according to MMA news sites.
Du Plessis employed his unorthodox striking style and dared the more polished and technical Adesanya to keep pace. While Adesanya had his moments, especially later in the fight, du Plessis was able to mix in his wrestling to keep the former champion on his toes.
Du Plessis ultimately submitted Adesanya for the first time to defend his championship. It was a stunning moment, as Adesanya had never been submitted before during his career.
Rountree Gave Pereira a Test
Khalil Rountree Jr. getting an opportunity to fight for the UFC’s light heavyweight title didn’t seem fair. Magomed Ankalaev was ranked No. 2 and felt like he should have been the one to test Alex Pereira at UFC 307. But Rountree, who was ranked eighth before the fight, ended up turning in what is perhaps the best performance of his career.
Rountree scored a knockdown in the second round and attempted to utilize his power to put the physically imposing champion down. However, Pereira was focused on staying disciplined and slowly wearing Rountree down with his kicks and consistent jab.
Pereira was making his third title defense of the year, which was only made more difficult by doing it in the thin air of Salt Lake City. Pereira ultimately scored a fourth-round knockout, but Rountree picked up plenty of respect from the MMA community, even with the loss.
Did Holloway’s Loss to Topuria Ruin the Moment at UFC 300?
The only question regarding the legacy of the Holloway-Gaethje fight is where the moment will rank in Holloway’s career. It’s hard to say, spectacular as it was, that it could be the No. 1 moment. Holloway did capture the featherweight championship.
Also, while Holloway’s win got him another shot at the top of the division, the next fight was a major disappointment. Fighting against Topuria, Holloway was overwhelmed. He was ultimately knocked out in the third round by Topuria, who is one of the sport’s next big stars.
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By Dean McHugh.