UFC Hall of Famers Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping collectively salute the ‘greatest finish’ in the history of MMA on the main card of UFC 300.
With the PPV billed as the best MMA event ever put together, UFC 300 delivered on every perceived level and was topped off by one of the greatest finishes in the history of the sport – and that’s putting it lightly.
Max Holloway earns last-second KO win at UFC 300
If you didn’t catch last night’s UFC 300 card from Las Vegas, you missed one of the greatest title fights that we’ve ever seen in the UFC octagon, an instant classic that culminated in undoubtedly the most dramatic finish in the history of the sport.
Of course, we are talking about Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway and his buzzer-beating, last-second, roof-raising, flatline knockout of Justin ‘The Highlight’ Gaethje to claim the BMF championship.
In truth, it’s difficult to put such an outstanding moment into words, but thankfully the MMA fanbase can fall back on two UFC legends to put the viral knockout into context for what it means for the sport, the industry, and the new BMF world champion.
Chael Sonnen reacts to Max Holloway’s viral KO at UFC 300
UFC legend Chael Sonnen, who was announced to finally be entering the Hall of Fame last night, hailed the performance and finish of Max Holloway as “Maybe the greatest finish in UFC history, is that too far?” – Certainly not.
Breaking down the ‘people’s main event’ via his official YouTube channel, Sonnen celebrated what it truly means to be a BMF title holder in such a dramatic and violent sport:
“When you talk about BMF and what does it mean, the BMF is a title that is peer-driven. The guys and galls in the locker room want to be known amongst their peers as a tough guy, as somebody that would fight when it was easier to stay home, as somebody that would get up when it was easier to stay down, that’s how they want to be known.”
“There’s a different level of respect that the competitors have so a BMF, that is the belt and the title amongst the athletes,” said Sonnen, before sharing that he hopes that above all else, Holloway continues to defend the silver-plated strap:
“Whether he stays at 155lbs or he drops to 145lbs, I hope that he defends it. I don’t think Max needs to be going after Ilia Topuria right now unless he wants to put the belt up. If Max is going to be given a shot at Topuria’s belt, then Topuria’s got to be given a shot at Max’s belt.”
“What an incredible moment for Max, what an incredible evening. That belt matters and lineage is important, I say defend and continue to defend the BMF,” celebrated ‘The Bad Guy’.
Michael Bisping says Justin Gathje ‘underestimated’ Max Holloway
Fellow UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping was also in high spirits following the sensational last-second knockout, calling the performance, via his own YouTube channel, one of the best of Max Holloway’s career to date – and it’s hard to argue against ‘The Count’ on that:
“After dominating him for five rounds, [Max] points at the floor just like at UFC 199 and knocks him out cold with an overhand right after putting on the best performance in recent memory. One of the best performances of his career against maybe the most dangerous opponent of his career.”
Bisping said that ‘Blessed’ put on an “absolute masterclass” as he made a highlight out of ‘The Highlight’, who might have miscalculated the power of the former featherweight champion in this higher weight class:
“One of the best performances you’ve ever seen…Max was technical, he was patient, he was masterful with the ring work. Gaethje is a bad m*******, that’s why he was the champion and he’s great, [but] I think he underestimated Max Holloway.”
UFC 300 is in the books, but that knockout will live long in the memory of MMA fans – for the finish, Holloway earned himself an additional $600,000 in post-fight bonuses.