UFC 300: Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway have a great opportunity to scuttle the orderly plans set in place for lightweight title

LAS VEGAS -- When Dana White announced that former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira would meet Arman Tsarukyan on the main card of UFC 300, the UFC CEO said the winner would be the No. 1 contender for the title. It doesn't get more definitive than that. The winner should expect to challenge Islam Makhachev for the belt later this year, perhaps as early as June.

But if things go the way I think they might, there well be a more definitive title challenger set to face Makhachev after the historic card is complete.

Justin Gaethje will meet Max Holloway for the BMF title on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in the most anticipated fight not only on this card but of the year. In our poll asking fans to rank their favorite fights on the card, Gaethje-Holloway is the runaway winner of the bout the fans are most excited to see.

And so the winner of Gaethje-Holloway should almost automatically become the fighter that fans want to see challenge for the lightweight title. Gaethje said the fight will be so good that it's going to be hard to deny it.

"There's only one way I ever do it," Gaethje said when asked if fans could expect a high-volume, high-contact battle. "[I'm] the most consistent guy who's ever stepped in there. Now, I have a dance partner who's just the same. It's going to be the most exciting fight of the night, so I'm hoping the UFC bumps that bonus up to $300,000."

It would be hard to deny the Oliveira-Tsarukyan winner a lightweight title shot considering what they've done, particularly Oliveira.

Oliveira won the title on May 15, 2021, when he defeated Michael Chandler by TKO at 19 seconds of the second round. He made successful title defenses against Dustin Poirier and Gaethje before losing it at UFC 280 to Makhachev. He came back after the loss to Makhachev to defeat Beneil Dariush, giving him 12 wins in his last 13 fights with seven submissions and three KOs.

Tsarukyan, though, has his own case to make. He's won eight of his last nine, with his only loss a June 25, 2022, Fight of the Night battle with Mateusz Gamrot that could have gone either way. If the Gamrot fight had gone his way, he'd be on a streak of 20 of 21, with the only loss coming to Makhachev.

So the Oliveira-Tsarukyan winner has a great argument.

But the UFC is a business and a win in a spectacular fight by either Gaethje or Holloway would create a lot of public demand for the winner to face Makhachev for the title.

"It's what the people want," said Ali Abdelaziz, the manager of both Gaethje and Makhachev. "Justin Gaethje is who they are coming to see and when he wins this fight, they're going to want to see him [face Makhachev] again. That's the fight to make."

Now, the UFC is in an envious situation because it has an embarrassment of riches at lightweight. Makhachev is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport given that UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones hasn't fought in more than a year, but he might be the best even if Jones were active. That's up for debate.

What isn't up for debate is that Makhachev's time at lightweight is probably limited. Abdelaziz said he had talks with the UFC about potentially make a bout with Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC 300, though that fell through.

But Makhachev isn't going to be a lightweight for life. He's already beaten Tsarukyan and Oliveira, but he hasn't faced either Gaethje or Holloway. So the Gaethje-Holloway winner would come out in great shape, holding a belt and having the visibility afforded from competing on the card of the year in what will be one of the best fights on the show.

Imagine for a second that Gaethje-Holloway meets expectations and is a Fight of the Year kind of battle. The winner will undoubtedly call out Makhachev, and what a main event that would be for UFC 303 in Las Vegas on June 29. That card could also include Conor McGregor against Michael Chandler, since White posted a photo of McGregor with the words, "coming soon" on it to his Instagram story. 

Now, the UFC could also choose to give the Oliveira-Tsarukyan winner the title shot with the Gaethje-Holloway winner in the hole for a fight later in the year, and it would make sense.

But White loves it when fighters force his hand. If they go out and do something extraordinary, he likes to reward them.

So Gaethje and Holloway not only will be fighting for the BMF belt on Saturday, but there will be a lot more at stake. The fans would be the winners if they force White to alter his clearly stated plans.

Though, as usually is the case whenever Gaethje or Holloway steps foot inside the Octagon, they usually are.