For UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag], the best is “Blessed.”
White praised [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) ahead of his BMF lightweight title fight against Justin Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC 300 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Holloway is a former featherweight champion who defended his belt three times against Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, and Frankie Edgar. He also holds notable wins over the likes of current top contenders Calvin Kattar, Yair Rodriguez, and Arnold Allen.
“Max Holloway, always a big fan favorite,” White said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “Probably the greatest featherweight of all time going up against Gaethje, who is a human highlight reel.”
Many expected both Gaethje and Holloway to fight for the title in their respective divisions, but White justifies the reason behind the matchmaking.
“The idea of the BMF was built right here in this room,” White said from the UFC’s war room in Las Vegas. “There’s always these fights that the fans love, whether it’s a Masvidal vs. Diaz, you know, those types of fights, Gaethje and Max Holloway.
“We were sitting in here one day and thought about building this BMF title and who’s better fit for this thing than Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway? We thought about it in here. I told the guys, ‘Tell me if you think I’m crazy, but what do you think of this idea?’ They loved it, the fans love it, and here we go.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.