Justin Gaethje reflects on how losing to Max Holloway at UFC 300 pushed him into golf

Justin Gaethje was on the receiving end of a historic knockout at UFC 300. However, he has since described the loss to Max Holloway as a transformative experience, which ultimately drove him to pursue golfing. He said as much in a recent interview with MMA Fighting.

Months ago, 'The Highlight' faced Holloway in a high-profile 'BMF' title defense. Unfortunately, after falling behind on the scorecards, he was goaded into trading with 'Blessed' in the dying seconds of round five. It was then that Holloway landed the fatal blow that sent him crashing face-first into the mat.

Now, Gaethje has offered a newfound perspective on the crushing loss when asked for his thoughts on the current lightweight title landscape.

"I got knocked out, woke up, and I was like 'I want to golf' and I've been golfing every day since pretty much. You know, I've worked so hard for so long to be here. To be in front of the crowd, and I love to perform, and I'm not ready [yet] to give that up."

Check out Justin Gaethje talking about his perspective shift (3:29):

Despite the loss, Gaethje is often in the mix for a title shot, being between one and two wins away from a crack at the title. In his first undisputed championship bout, he faced the great Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254. While he fought valiantly in round one, he was on the backfoot for the majority and conceded a late takedown.

By round two, he was already gasping for air and Nurmagomedov pounced on a low kick, catching Gaethje's leg and converting into a takedown, which he transitioned to back mount. Seconds later, he advanced position for a triangle choke to submit him.

His second title fight was against Charles Oliveira at UFC 274, who made 'The Highlight' pay for overextending on wild haymakers, knocking him down and submitting him in round one.

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Justin Gaethje has an annual golfing event for charity

The Justin Gaethje Golf Classic is an annual golfing event founded to raise awareness and donations for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which treats various serious diseases that affect children, including cancer. It was most recently hosted this year and managed to raise over $50,000.

Gaethje both played and spoke at the event, addressing the crowd gathered. It marked the most high-profile charitable action of his career to date.