"Anyone else worried for Max's health?" - Fans react to Dana White confirming Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway for UFC 300

The MMA community has chimed in on the Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway matchup that has been officially confirmed by UFC CEO Dana White.

In a recent tweet, White announced that their showdown would be a five-round bout at UFC 300 (April 13, 2024), with Gaethje's BMF title on the line. The fight is expected to be contested in the reigning BMF champion's weight class.

Former UFC featherweight champion Holloway would be moving up in weight. He'll be heading from the featherweight (145-pound) division to the lightweight (155-pound) division to face lightweight mainstay Gaethje.

Certain sections of the MMA world have weighed in by expressing their concern for Holloway after the fight was announced. Some fans alluded that 'Blessed' seldom gets stunned or dropped in his fights, but Gaethje, one of the most powerful strikers, could be the one to knock him down. One fan foresees the fight playing out akin to 'The Highlight's' incredible TKO win over Tony Ferguson.

Additionally, some X users indicated that Gaethje would put the Hawaiian fighter's chin to the test and that the latter wouldn't be the same after their clash. A few others implied that White and the UFC might have made a mistake by matching Holloway up against one of the most elite KO artists at a higher weight class.

One fan tweeted:

"Anyone else worried for Max's health?"

Check out a few screenshots of the fan reactions to the Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway announcement below:

Screenshots of fan reactions

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Justin Gaethje looks to get past Max Holloway ahead of a possible UFC title shot against Islam Makhachev

Reigning undisputed UFC lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev's next opponent and exact comeback date haven't been announced yet. In a recent interview with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto, Makhachev's longtime manager Ali Abdelaziz insinuated that Justin Gaethje, who's also his client, is deserving of the next title shot against Makhachev.

A former interim UFC lightweight champion, Gaethje came up short twice in his attempts to capture the undisputed UFC lightweight belt. Regardless, Abdelaziz asserted that 'The Highlight' worked his way back to the title picture by staying active and beating top-tier contenders such as Rafael Fiziev.

Moreover, he explained that 'The Highlight', for his part, never opts for something he hasn't earned. The Dominance MMA founder and CEO also emphasized that Makhachev is more than willing to fight Gaethje.

Abdelaziz is of the opinion that the American MMA stalwart has sacrificed sweat and blood for a shot at the undisputed UFC lightweight championship against Russia's Makhachev. He stated:

"Islam Makhachev, very interested to fighting him...He said, 'Doesn't matter who, when, and how. I'll fight anybody they give me.'...Justin Gaethje has earned it and Islam really excited about fighting him." [4:15 - 5:16]

Catch Ali Abdelaziz's comments below: