“Can Alter the Outcome of the Fight”: Kamaru Usman Claims Justin Gaethje Would Have Been the BMF Champion if It Wasn’t for Max Holloway’s Eye Pokes (2024)

UFC 300 went down over the weekend and is in the running for perhaps the best combat sports event of all time for many fans. Amidst all of it, former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman has come out with an interesting claim regarding Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway.

For the most part, the two big highlights of UFC 300 came from the Alex Pereira fight, where he knocked out former LHW champ Jamahal Hill and viciously trolled him afterward. Not only that but Max Holloway’s buzzer-beating knockout of Justin Gaethje was perhaps the most standout moment from the night.

THE BADDEST MOTHERF****R 😮‍💨 @BlessedMMA | #UFC300 pic.twitter.com/WHtaTOmniw

— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2024

All things considered, it was a moment that blew the roof off of the T-Mobile Arena, to the point even referee Marc Goddard let out a scream as Holloway slumped Justin Gaethje to claim the lightweight title. Naturally, many at that time felt emotions inexpressible and could only scream out in shock and amazement. However, for some like Kamaru Usman, it was a moment of true despair.

Kamaru Usman claims Max Holloway eye-poked Justin Gaethje at UFC 300

By now, it is no surprise that Kamaru Usman has a close working relationship with Justin Gaethje. Not only do the two fighters have the same manager, but they also train together under coach Trevor Wittman. In the past, the two have fought on the same card together as well. Thus, they consider each other to be brothers at this point.

Thus, it was understandably difficult for ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ to watch one of his closest friends and ‘brothers’ get brutally knocked out in the way he did. In numerous reaction videos that have circulated since then, Usman can be spotted in the crowd, cowering with his head in his hands after Gaethje was knocked out.

Kamaru Usman’s live reaction to Justin Gaethje getting knocked out at #UFC300 🙁

🎥 YT / @stylebender #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/EzTRnUSl30

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 15, 2024

However, as the former welterweight king suggests, the fight wasn’t as straightforward as it looked.

“We have to see the two eye pokes. They were clear-cut, legit eye pokes and it wasn’t that Max was doing it maliciously or on purpose, they happen, and these are the types of things that can alter the outcome of a fight.”

That said, even former foe Michael Chandler expressed concern for Justin afterward. According to Usman, the early kick to the nose at the end of Round 1, coupled with the eye pokes made it very difficult for Gaethje to follow through with his game plan. Despite that, he gave it a good go and went down swinging like a warrior.

Kamaru Usman reveals what Justin Gaethje did wrong during the fight

All things considered, Kamaru naturally had a lot to say about the BMF title fight. Not only did he suggest that Max Holloway got an advantage via eye pokes, but he also had some criticism for Justin Gaethje as well. In the leadup to the fight, we have discussed how Gaethje struggles to follow game plans during big fights, as seen in his fights against Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov in the past.

Thus, despite starting strong, he always fails to make the necessary adjustments mid-fight and falls into the bad habit of loading up heavy shots, which while devastating, can also leave a lot of gaps for his opponents to exploit. Speaking in the latest episode of Pound 4 Pound with Henry Cejudo, Kamaru discussed the same.

“I think the place where things kind of might’ve gone sideways is making the necessary adjustments in the fight.”

“I thought he could have made some adjustments when he is a wrestler. This fight’s completely different had Justin changed levels and took Max down once or twice, and he can do it.”

Further, even Henry Cejudo added:

“If Justin was to get just one takedown, and be able to hold him and really ground and pound him, then he would’ve started making a guy like Max Holloway actually think. Watching this fight as a whole, I felt like Justin could’ve done a better job of covering distance.”

With that said, there is no doubt that Justin Gaethje will be taking the time to properly recover from the setback. Dropping down to #3 in the lightweight rankings, there are still a lot of improvements that ‘The Highlight’ can make. Seeing that he has the time and the opportunity to work on himself, the 35-year-old can once again put together a run for the title.