A new year is here, and that means it’s time for Combat Press to take a look back at the best of MMA in 2024. In the coming days, Combat Press will announce its award winners in multiple categories, covering everything from the action in the cage to the biggest stories surrounding the sport.
This one is cut-and-dry. Not only does this fight stand alone as Knockout of the Year, in seven and a half decades, fans might be debating whether this fight was the Knockout of the Century. Moving up a weight class against a power puncher seems like a bad idea on the surface. It seems like a doubly bad idea when that power punching opponent is Justin Gaethje. But, that is exactly what Max Holloway did at UFC 300.
With seconds left in the fight, “Blessed” was clearly ahead on the scorecards, and he was en route to a lopsided victory in a fight where he avoided the thunder coming back at him from Gaethje. However, as Holloway had notably done against Ricardo Lamos, he pointed at the center of the cage and invited Gaethje to end the BMF title fight with 10 seconds of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.
Fans and commentators alike were both stunned by the bold, very dangerous decision. As both men swung for the fences, Holloway would get touched and then fire back with a flurry to the body and then a massive right hand that absolutely face-planted Gaethje. There could not have been a more perfect ending to a fight with the BMF title on the line. For that performance, Max Holloway’s knockout over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 earns the nod for the 2024 Combat Press MMA Award for Knockout of the Year.