Max Holloway is backing Justin Gaethje to deliver in his next outing inside the Octagon.
Gaethje is set to run it back with Rafael Fiziev in a highly anticipated rematch, serving as the co-main event of UFC 313 Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“The Highlight” is looking to rebound after suffering a buzzer-beater knockout loss to Holloway at UFC 300 this past April, where he lost his BMF title. The former UFC featherweight champion is surprised to see Gaethje labeled as the underdog against Fiziev but believes he’s poised for a strong comeback.
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, “Blessed” weighed in on the UFC 313 co-main event, rallying behind Gaethje to replicate his past triumph over “Ataman”.
“This is going to be a fight man,” Holloway said. “With Gaethje coming in as the underdog, this is easy picking for me. You need to roll with Gaethje, especially coming off of his last fight. He wants to erase that last loss with something huge, so 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.
“(I) think it’s going to be huge. It’s going to be big. I think he’s going to make a statement. He also knows that the 155-pound division with contenders is super up in the air. Whoever can make that statement win can just jump in there and get a title shot, and I think he goes out there and he does that. They call him ‘The Highlight’ for a reason, and what a better dance partner to do that with than Fiziev because you know Fiziev is going to come and fight.”
The former UFC interim lightweight champion was originally set to clash with Dan Hooker in a five-round showdown at UFC 313. However, “The Hangman” was forced to pull out due to a hand injury, leading to Fiziev stepping in as a short-notice replacement.
“The Highlight” narrowly defeated Fiziev in their first encounter at UFC 286 in March 2023, earning a majority decision victory. Since then, Gaethje has picked up one win and suffered one defeat.
Meanwhile, “Ataman” last competed in a Fight Night event in September 2023, where an untimely knee injury derailed him midway through the second round against Mateusz Gamrot, leading to a TKO loss.
