Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Max Holloway (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Justin Gaethje (not pictured) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

mma

Max Holloway Backs Former Opponent To Take The ‘W’ At UFC 313!

Max Holloway backs his former opponent to secure a win at UFC 313, believing in his ability to dominate inside the octagon!

UFC fans are buzzing with excitement as UFC 313 approaches this weekend. They are in for a treat with a stacked card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, featuring some of the most explosive fighters in the game. Among the most anticipated matchups is the co-main event, where Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev will run it back in what promises to be an absolute barn burner.

These two lightweight warriors first clashed at UFC 286. Gaethje edged out a majority decision in a closely contested battle that had fans on the edge of their seats. Now, even though it was a short notice fight, fans are set to see the same thing again!

Also Read: Alex Pereira vs. Oleksandr Usyk Fight Gets Wings With Dana White’s Recent Endeavour!

Max Holloway’s Support For Justin Gaethje!

The current BMF champion Max Holloway has come out strongly in Gaethje’s corner, despite knocking him out in spectacular fashion at UFC 300 last April. Speaking on his YouTube channel, ‘Blessed’ expressed his take on the upcoming fight.

“ I’m calling this right now. I’m picking Justin Gaethje, and I’m going with his nickname man, he’s going to have a highlight this fight. They call him ‘The Highlight’ for a reason. I really can’t wait to see Justin go back in there and do his thing.”

Holloway is predicting a highlight-reel finish that lives up to Gaethje’s nickname.What makes this prediction particularly interesting is the history between these fighters. Holloway’s knockout of Gaethje at UFC 300 was one of the most jaw-dropping moments in recent UFC memory, earning “Knockout of the Year” honors for 2024.

That fifth-round slugfest became instantly iconic when Holloway pointed to the center of the octagon.He stood his ground, and delivered a face-breaking combination that put Gaethje to sleep with just one second remaining.

Despite handing Gaethje that devastating loss, Holloway believes the setback will fuel ‘The Highlight’ to come back stronger. There is certainly logic to this thinking. fighters often return with a vengeance after tough losses, and few are as resilient as the notoriously tough Gaethje, who has built his career on walk-forward pressure and violence.

Stakes For The Co-Main Event Fighters

The stakes couldn’t be higher for both Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev. The lightweight division is currently in flux, with contenders jockeying for position. A standout performance could catapult either fighter into title contention. Whoever can make that statement win can just jump in there and be in the conversation for a title shot.

JUSTIN GAETHJE VS RAFAEL FIZIEV

UN COMBAT QUI PROMET DU SANG ET DU SPECTACLE. 🩸💥#UFC313 pic.twitter.com/SUkx9PCjwd
— La Sueur (@LaSueur_off) March 7, 2025

Gaethje has been in this position before. After all, this is a man who’s faced the who’s who of the lightweight division, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charles Oliveira, and Dustin Poirier. At 35 years old, time isn’t on his side, but his experience and hunger might just prove Holloway right!

(Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – Imagn Images)

Justin Gaethje

Max Holloway

Rafael Fiziev

UFC 313

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!