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Kamaru Usman recently shared his thoughts on the BMF title fight between Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 last weekend. The former welterweight champion opined that the two eye pokes that Holloway landed on Gaethje during the fight changed the outcome in favor of the Hawaiian native.
For context, Holloway beat Gaethje via fifth-round knockout at UFC 300 to be crowned as the promotion's new 'Baddest Motherf**ker' in an epic battle that had fans on the edge of their seats.
While 'Blessed' undeniably put on a striking masterclass to win the fight, many pointed out that two eye pokes by the Hawaiian native negatively affected Gaethje's performance. The former collegiate wrestler's longtime friend and teammate shared the same opinion.
During an episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman weighed in on Gaethje's BMF title loss. He said:
"Henry, we can't shy away from the fact that this man took that kick to the nose at the end of the first round... Which plays a huge part in potentially moving on in the fight because now you can't breathe the way you want to breathe in that fight. On top of that, we have to see the two eye pokes."
Usman continued:
"They were clear-cut legit eye pokes. It wasn't that Max was doing it maliciously or on purpose, they happen. These are the type of things that can alter the outcome of the fight."
Catch Kamaru Usman's comments below (4:08):
Michael Bisping on why Max Holloway beat Justin Gaethje at UFC 300
Former UFC champion Michael Bisping recently shared his two cents on the BMF title fight between Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje. 'The Count' broke down a crucial aspect of Gaethje's mindset going into the fight and opined that the lightweight's overconfidence cost him the win.
Gaethje was coming into this fight off a stunning second-round knockout win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 last July. 'The Highlight' took home the vacant BMF title and was lauded for his impressive striking power.
During a post-fight show with TNT Sport, Bisping claimed that Gaethje may have taken his praise too seriously and underestimated Holloway's skills. He said:
"I think he [Gaethje] was a victim of his own success. Knocking out Dustin Poirier the way that he did and everybody riding the coattails and being a fan, for obvious reasons... He thought he was going to go right through Max Holloway... He was swinging with everything he had... You know, he learned a very, very valuable lesson... He was the next contender for Islam Makhachev... That just went up in flames."
Catch Michael Bisping's comments below (16:38):
