Justin Gaethje went out on his shield at UFC 300.

We got what we asked for and expected in the third BMF title bout in UFC history. Gaethje and Max Holloway could battle it out for 25 minutes with a broomstick and make it entertaining. Against each other, the world witnessed an iconic clash, mostly thanks to Holloway’s maddening last-second knockout of “The Highlight” at the 24:59 mark.

The BMF tilt unsurprisingly won Fight of the Night honors and will surely be on many’s shortlist for Fight of the Year come 2024’s end. Holloway also earned a Performance of the Night bonus on top of the former, giving him $600,000 overall in bonus money. It was a plan-spoiling effort from “Blessed,” who gets to do essentially whatever he pleases next, and rightfully so. As for Gaethje, the undisputed title shot he was waiting for will have to be re-earned with some more victories, and despite this recent matchup being mostly to stay busy and entertain, he’s happy he took it.

“[It’s a] crazy game, you know?” Gaethje told MMA Knockout. “I think a lot of people in my position would have set out not taking [the Holloway fight]. I have no regrets. I think it was — I had so much fun I think it was such a huge historic card for the UFC. And to be a part of that, to be the best fight on that card is gonna live on forever.

“And again, it was a huge risk, I failed, and if I would have won that fight, if I’d got a quick knockout, I would have been taking that fight [against Islam Makhachev], but it’s just the name of the game.”

A surefire next-lightweight title challenger was expected to emerge from UFC 300 and they did. However, it wasn’t the big winners Holloway or Arman Tsarukyan, but two-time undisputed title challenger and rival of Gaethje’s, Dustin Poirier. UFC CEO Dana White announced the champion Makhachev will defend against Poirier in UFC 302’s main event on June 1.

Gaethje, 35, won the BMF title with a second-round head-kick knockout of Poirier in their rematch at UFC 291 in July 2023. Although “The Diamond” has only won one fight since then, defeating Benoit Saint Denis via second-round knockout at UFC 299, Gaethje is glad to see things work out this way if he wasn’t the one challenging Makhachev.

“I’m happy for Dustin,” Gaethje said. “Good for him. Somebody had to fight. I think no matter what we’re gonna lose. He (Makhachev) was going to be early, it was gonna be pretty much impossible [to make that fight in 5-6 weeks turnaround].

“This is the way that UFC wanted to go. So I guess, you know, I can’t complain about it because I don’t want to sound like — I really have no complaints because it is what it is. I’m not gonna let it eat me up.”

As he deactivates fight mode, rest and recovery are the immediate plans for Gaethje. The now-former BMF champion has famously said he only has a handful of wars left in him ahead of this fight before enough was enough. So, will there even be a “what’s next”?

It’s too early to name names or have expectations. One thing is for sure: We haven’t seen the last of one of MMA’s all-time entertainers, if not the all-time entertainer.

“I mean, [it] was certainly a war,” Gaethje said. “Certainly the definition of a war, especially getting put to sleep like that. That definitely counted as one. Yeah, but I’m not done. I’m gonna fight in the future — and that’s the only way that I fight.

“Even if I wanted to change how I fight, it’s really not possible. That’s how I compete. It’s how I’ve competed since I was a kid. So, the next time I step in there, you know, the best live show on Earth. We’ll see if I have as good a dance partner as I had this last weekend. But yeah, my intentions will be the same.”

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TOP STORIES

Proposal. Jake Paul makes $10 million offer to Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz: ‘I want either one of those guys in MMA’

Impressive. ‘Greatest troll job ever’: Fighters react to Ryan Garcia’s stunning upset of Devin Haney

Result. Ryan Garcia scores 3 brutal knockdowns, wins shocking upset of Devin Haney

Predictions. Henry Cejudo, Kamaru Usman debate how many fights Bo Nickal is from UFC title

Matchmaking. Diego Lopes argues for Movsar Evloev rematch on International Fight Week: ‘That’s the fight to make’

Rivals. Belal Muhammad blames Leon Edwards for title fight delay: ‘It’s fueling me with hatred for this guy’

Options. Aljamain Sterling to Max Holloway after legendary knockout: ‘Stay your ass at 155!’

Controversy. Yan Xiaonan on surviving UFC 300 choke: ‘If you give Weili 10 more seconds, I am definitely completely out’

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VIDEO STEW

This is CineMMA: Blood And Bone.

Ryan Garcia Post-Fight Presser.

UFC 300 Slow-Mo.

Mic-Gregor.

“Instant classic.”

Free fights.

RIZIN Confessions 147 and 148.

PFL Chicago highlights.

Deep 119 Impact trailer.

Aspinall in New York.

Bo’s 300 BTS.

Strongman Arnold.

Kelvin at Bangtao.

Anatomy of Garcia-Haney.

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LISTEN UP

Rankings Show. MMA Fighting’s Alex K. Lee, Jed Meshew, and Damon Martin discuss the contenders and pretenders from UFC 300, plus did Max Holloway deliver the coolest MMA moment ever?

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MORNING MUSIC

Me trying to stay positive about the MMA schedule post-UFC 300.

Shouts today to Morning Report reader ChadItUp for this classy user submission tune to get your week started.

Go to Twitter, use the #MorningReport hashtag, or find one of my tweets with it, and drop me a jam you’re currently really into. I’ll pick the best one alongside my daily choice and give you a shoutout! You can also share in the comments below — those are just harder to sift through sometimes!

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SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Godspeed and party on.

Physical.

Celebration.

Chaos continues.

Incredible.

Back in the win column.

Trio.

Runs in the family.

The Bispings.

Wrestlers unite!

Lol.

Holy.

Damn.

Former champ and future champ...?

Kickin it.

Indeed.

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Cédric Doumbé (5-1) vs. Derek Anderson (17-4, 1 NC); Bellator Paris, May 17

Alatengheili (16-9-2) vs. Kleydson Rodrigues (8-3); UFC Vegas 92, May 18

Kyoji Horiguchi (32-5) vs. Sergio Pettis (23-6); RIZIN 47, June 9

Kleber Koike (32-7-1) vs. Juan Archuleta (29-5); RIZIN 47, June 9

Asu Almabayev (19-2) vs. José Johnson (16-8); UFC Vegas 93, June 15

Jamahal Hill (12-2) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (13-5); UFC 303, June 29

Gabriel Bonfim (15-1) vs. Ange Loosa (10-3, 1 NC); UFC Fight Night, July 13

Loik Radzhabov (18-5-1) vs. Trey Ogden (17-6); UFC Vegas 94, July 20

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FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m pleasantly surprised to see how fine I would be with any options for Gaethje next. I suppose that’s mostly a testament to him being fun no matter what, but they all look fine to me, for the most part.

Thanks for reading!

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POLL POSITION

Last Week’s Results:

Friday: 78% of 377 total votes answered “Yes” when asked, “Will Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway happen next for each?”

Thursday: 39% of 571 total votes answered “Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier” when asked, “Which of the three recently announced big upcoming UFC fights are you most looking forward to?”

Wednesday: 68% of 664 total votes answered “Ilia Topuria” when asked, “Who should Max Holloway fight next?”

Tuesday: 77% of 490 total votes answered “Yes” when asked, “Is Colby Covington vs. Ian Machado Garry a good co-main event for UFC 303?”

Monday: 40% of 571 total votes answered “Top 3” when asked, “Where does UFC 300 rank amongst all-time UFC events?”

Today’s exit poll:

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