UFC Shares Jaw-Dropping Angle of Iconic Max Holloway KO Before Conor McGregor Fight

Holloway's win at UFC 300 stands as one of the best knockouts in UFC history.

USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The UFC has given fans the chance to relive Max Holloway’s iconic knockout of Justin Gaethje ahead of his rematch with Conor McGregor at UFC 329.

Provided that the fight isn’t derailed by a late injury like his last scheduled return bout against Michael Chandler in 2024, next weekend will see former two-division UFC titleholder McGregor step into the cage to compete for the first time in five years.

“The Notorious” will headline UFC 329 opposite his former opponent Holloway, who first fought McGregor in 2013 as a 21-year-old and dropped a unanimous decision in what was the Irishman’s second UFC appearance.

Watch Max Holloway Sleep Justin Gaethje Ahead of UFC 329

Since that loss to McGregor, Holloway has solidified himself as a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame with his fan-friendly style and reigns with both the UFC’s featherweight and “BMF” titles.

“Blessed” claimed the “BMF” belt at UFC 300 with one of the most iconic knockouts in UFC history. Ahead of Holloway’s rematch with McGregor, the UFC has shared a cageside angle of the Hawaiian sleeping Justin Gaethje in the very last second of their five-round “BMF” fight.

COLD 🥶👇 How about this angle of that @BlessedMMA knockout?! 🌸 #UFC329 pic.twitter.com/lAErvk5gEt

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) July 2, 2026

The victory has aged considerably well for Holloway, as Gaethje went on to take a second win over recent UFC Baku headliner Rafael Fiziev before he handed Paddy Pimblett his first UFC loss at UFC 324 and claimed the promotion’s interim lightweight belt for the second time.

Justin Gaethje (blue gloves) celebrates after winning the UFC Freedom 250 fight against Ilia Topuria (not pictured) at the White House South Lawn. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That win over Pimblett set the stage for a lightweight title unification bout against Ilia Topuria at the UFC White House event, where Gaethje shattered Topuria’s undefeated record with one of the most incredible upsets in UFC history.

"Blessed" Lost the UFC "BMF" Title to Charles Oliveira in March

After claiming the “BMF” belt from Gaethje, Holloway challenged Topuria in a bid to reclaim the UFC featherweight belt but suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

Ilia Topuria (red gloves) looks on prior to his fight against Justin Gaethje (not pictured) during the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House South Lawn. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Topuria elected to vacate the featherweight belt and move up to lightweight following that win, while Holloway rebounded by successfully defending the “BMF” belt against Dustin Poirier in the latter fighter’s retirement bout at UFC 318.

Max Holloway (red gloves) enters the Octagon before the fight against Charles Oliveira (blue gloves) during UFC 326 at T-Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 34-year-old was soundly out grappled by Charles Oliveira in his last outing at UFC 326 and relinquished the “BMF” title to the Brazilian, but Holloway presumably won’t have to worry about being taken down when he and McGregor headline UFC 329.

Can Conor McGregor Defeat Holloway in UFC Return Fight?

McGregor did utilize takedowns to help defeat Holloway in their first meeting after injuring his knee early in the fight, but most fans hoping to see “The Notorious” to get his hand raised in his UFC return are almost certainly expecting things to end via knockout.

Conor McGregor reacts during weigh-ins for UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. | USA TODAY Sports

The Irishman’s win over Holloway was the second in what eventually turned into seven-straight victories to kick off McGregor’s UFC career. That run was capped off by his legendary 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo to win the UFC featherweight title before he was famously upset by Nate Diaz at UFC 196 in the first of back-to-back meetings between the two men.

Conor McGregor is carried off on a stretcher following an injury in his loss against Dustin Poirier during UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. | USA TODAY Sports

McGregor’s last win came when he stopped Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in just 40 seconds in 2020. The following year, future UFC Hall of Famer Poirier stopped the Irishman with strikes in their rematch before a broken ankle in their trilogy fight left McGregor on a two-fight skid and kicked off what has become a five-year layoff.