Former BMF champion Jorge Masvidal thinks Justin Gaethje’s UFC 300 knockout loss could’ve shrunk his career timeline.
Gaethje lost the BMF belt to Max Holloway in a buzzer-beating knockout at UFC 300 on Saturday in Las Vegas. After Holloway lured Gaethje into a firefight in the final seconds, Gaethje got hit with a massive right hand that knocked him unconscious.
Gaethje’s BMF title reign lasted just one fight with the loss to Holloway. It was also his first knockout loss since his first fight with Dustin Poirier in April 2018.
Masvidal, who suffered a brutal knockout loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 261, thinks Gaethje’s defeat might’ve shortened his MMA career.
Jorge Masvidal reacts to Justin Gaethje’s UFC 300 loss
During a recent interview on the Morning Kombat podcast, Masvidal reacts to Justin Gaethje’s knockout defeat.
“Gaethje always finds a way to come back, put on great shows, and keep fucking winning. But this one was bad,” Masvidal said of Gaethje. “He was out for a good amount of time, like two minutes, and when they sat him up he was still visibly hurt. I hope he makes a full recovery and comes back to the sport stronger than ever, but you just don’t know when you take a knockout like that…
“It wasn’t just that, it was a lot of abuse to the body. I thought Gaethje got the short end of the stick and got more of the abuse, and his nose too…this fight might’ve taken a lot of years out of Gaethje.”
Masvidal and Gaethje have been on shaky ground recently, particularly leading up to UFC 300. Masvidal claimed in a recent interview that he ‘would break Gaethje’s orbital’ in a potential UFC comeback fight.
Justin Gaethje responded by discrediting Masvidal’s chances at a comeback, calling him ‘fat as f***’ during a sitdown with Daniel Cormier.
Gaethje won the then-vacant BMF title by defeating Poirier at UFC 291. Masvidal wrapped the belt around his waist after the fight.
Justin Gaethje seems in good spirits after UFC 300 and could potentially return to the Octagon by the end of 2024. But, if Masvidal’s comments indicate, he might want to consider a long hiatus before considering his next move.