Brendan Miller
Close finishes are a rarity in UFC history, but the promotion made a legendary entry into the division at UFC 300 on Saturday night. In the historic UFC event, Max Holloway knocked out Justin Gathje literally in the last second of the fight for the ceremonial “BMF” championship.
Holloway’s victory was only the third in UFC history to occur in the final second of a fight, with all three moments occurring in legendary fashion.
But was Holloway’s victory the biggest of these three UFC champions? We took a moment to sit down and classify five of the times that fighters achieved victories in the final moments of fights.
Nº 5 – Jairzinho Rozenstruik delivers Hail Mary knockout over Alistair Overeem, UFC Fight Night (2019)
While Overeem still disputes that stoppage, it was truly a wild moment. The former Strikeforce and DREAM heavyweight champion was in complete control of this five-round main event in Washington D.C. when, while trying to get on his bike and hold the final bell, Rozenstruik landed a bomb right hand that left him seated. in the cage there are five seconds left. Rozenstruik walked away as Overeem tried to get up, the corner of his mouth completely open. Referee Dan Miragliotta decided to wave when Overeem stood up with Rozenstruik in celebration mode.
It was one of the strangest endings to a main event, but the stoppage could be considered legitimate given the way Overeem looked when he got back to his feet.
No. 4 – Frankie Edgar defeats Cub Swanson, UFC Fight Night (2014)
The former lightweight champion wanted to make a splash in the 145-pound main event near his home in New Jersey. He did just that as he dominated Swanson for most of this five-round clash that ended with Edgar on top of Swanson trying to put an exclamation point on his victory. He did just that by wrapping his arms around Swanson’s face and squeezing him. Swanson was forced to tap out with just five seconds remaining, setting a record at the time for the latest stoppage in UFC history.
Nº 3 – Demetrious Johnson submits Kyoji Horiguchi, UFC 186 (2015)
Johnson was never appreciated as much as he should have been when he was dominating the UFC flyweight division. Johnson was a masterful fighter who accomplished truly incredible things against a host of talented challengers. Included in his championship reign were three fifth-round victories, including a legendary armbar victory over Ray Borg, where Johnson threw Borg into the air and submitted him on the way to the ground.
But Johnson’s UFC 186 fight against Horiguchi was where he entered the realm of buzzers. Johnson largely dominated Horiguchi in a fight that was fought at a blistering pace. In the final round, Johnson was dominating on the ground when he made the late decision to get another stoppage, quickly pivoting into an armbar and pressing down until Horiguchi tapped out a split second before the horn sounded to end the fight. .
It was another impressive performance from Johnson, but it ranks third on the list because the other two participants are legendary highlights in the UFC catalog.
#2 – Yair Rodriguez lands a Hail Mary elbow to knock out the Korean Zombie, UFC Fight Night (2018)
The fight between Rodriguez and Chan Sung Jung closed the November 2018 Fight Night card in style. The two featherweights traded blows over the course of five rounds, with momentum swinging back and forth. It was exactly the type of fight fans were hoping for when the fight was announced, as it also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the UFC’s first event.
When the fight reached the fifth and final round, Jung had an advantage on the scorecards and could have won by decision just by going through the round. Jung continued to fight hard, not knowing that he was ahead and also having no style of taking his foot off the accelerator in any situation.
The fighters continued to face each other in exciting bouts of violence before coming together for one last exchange. Somehow, Rodriguez landed a back elbow while bending at the waist, sending Jung crashing to the canvas in the final second, giving Rodriguez one of the most unlikely knockouts in UFC history.
#1 – Max Holloway proves he’s the real “BMF”, UFC 300 (2024)
Fighting for the “BMF” championship brings with it great expectations. Being chosen by the UFC to fight for a ceremonial title that supposedly can only belong to the sport’s “baddest son of a bitch” means fans expect you to deliver the goods inside the Octagon. While there was little doubt that Holloway and Gaethje could meet those expectations, Holloway’s performance exceeded what could be expected from even the most discerning fans.
Holloway crushed Gaethje’s nose with a back kick to end the first round, but Gathje would not wilt from the injury. Gaethje even appeared to have Holloway seriously injured in the fourth round, despite being defeated during the fight.
Despite having every reason to think he was ahead on the scorecards, especially after dominating the final round up to that point, Holloway chose not to play it safe as the final seconds of the fight ticked away.
When Holloway pointed to the floor and motioned for Gaethje to come in, Holloway was giving his opponent the chance to land the miracle kick. Gaethje, the natural lightweight, was considered the cruelest one-punch knockout artist and Holloway was giving him an opening. Instead, it was Holloway who delivered the final blow, landing an overhand straight in the wild exchange and creating an all-time standout moment.
The UFC may strip the ceremonial title after UFC 300 because no MFerr is as bad as Max Holloway.
