Max Holloway: Using Gaethje's logic, 'technically I beat Conor McGregor'
Max Holloway: Using Gaethje's logic, 'technically I beat Conor McGregor'
Matthew Wells and Mike Bohn, MMA JunkieFri, July 3, 2026 at 3:01 PM UTC
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One of Max Holloway's best career highlights came against Justin Gaethje.
Nicknamed "The Highlight," Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) just pulled off one of his own by putting the first loss on Ilia Topuria's record at UFC Freedom 250 to claim the undisputed lightweight championship. In the days that followed that momentous victory, Gaethje reflected on his last-second knockout loss to Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) at UFC 300.
In Gaethje's mind, he believes he avenged his loss to Holloway by beating Topuria, a logical leap that confuses yet amuses Holloway.
"You know how things are AI, and people just put out fake-ass posters? I thought that was fake, and then I saw the video, and I was like, 'Holy sh*t,'" Holloway told MMA Junkie. "I was kind of tripping out. If you feel that way, then technically I beat Conor McGregor. Cause I beat Dustin (Poirier). So, I'm in great shoes.
"All jokes aside, I don't know why he's saying that. Maybe he's just saying it to ruffle some feathers or whatever. I know he said that he couldn't hate me in there so maybe he's like baiting me to talk some sh*t so that if we do get a rematch he can be like, 'Look, he talked some sh*t now.' I've got nothing but love for Justin. If he thinks that way, he thinks that way, but at the end of the day the UFC is going to do what they think is best for UFC."
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Holloway's all-time walk-off KO of Gaethje was for the BMF title. At UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+), he has the opportunity to perhaps earn a shot at the divisional title Gaethje now holds, should he get past former two-division champion Conor McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who is returning to the octagon for the first time since 2021. With the right performance, Holloway sees a path to a title shot at lightweight and even a possible welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev.
"If I can go out there, get an exciting win – people are talking about the winner of this fight maybe fighting for the 155 title, maybe even fighting for the 170 title after," Holloway said. "All I've got to go out there and do is get my hand raised, and not only get my hand raised, but get my hand raised in exciting fashion, and then the ball is going to be in UFC's court. Whatever way they want to go, I'll be ready.
"Both of the fights (against Gaethje and Makhachev) is fun, but why not go back down to '55 and do something amazing, then ask to come back up? We'll see what happens. I would love to fight both of them. That's a tough one. I don't know what I would choose. First things first is Conor McGregor, but it's a tough situation. Being able to have an Islam fight with the way Islam's career is going, that would be pretty sick to share the octagon with that guy. At the end of the day, we'll see after the fight. If everything goes good on July 11, ask me the question, and maybe I'll have an answer."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Why Justin Gaethje's logic had Max Holloway 'tripping out'
Source: “AOL Sports”
