LAS VEGAS -- They don't come any badder, or tougher, or most importantly, better than Max Holloway.
He's been a legend among those who follow MMA closely for years. Before his 22nd birthday, he'd fought Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier in the UFC. Less than a week after he turned 25, he held the interim UFC featherweight title and had firmly established himself by that point as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
And now, at 33 and after 29 bouts in the UFC, a time when even the greats start the slow descent into mediocrity, Holloway retains the ability to shock and awe MMA fans. He did it on Saturday before 20,067 at T-Mobile Arena in what, in many ways, may have been his greatest performance.
He knocked out Justin Gaethje with one second left in their fight for the so-called BMF title on the main card of UFC 300 Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. On the biggest cards and in the biggest spots, Holloway has that unique ability to deliver.
Long-time fans have seen it for years: A fighter knows he's got a bout won on the cards, and he hears the clapper to signify there's 10 seconds left in the bout. He raises his arm in the air and circles around the ring, beginning the celebration early. It's happened dozens of times with dozens of fighters.
That's not Holloway's modus operandi. He looked at Gaethje, pointed to the center of the Octagon and then got in there and began firing big punches.
He caught Gaethje with one of the all-time best right hands. Gaethje face-planted, following down in a dead fall as referee Marc Goddard waved it off and Holloway won with perhaps the most dramatic KO in UFC history.
UFC 300 was one of the great cards the company ever put on, filled with fantastic fights and incredible finishes. But nothing ever came close to the kind of dramatic KO that Holloway delivered.
"When we created the BMF title, tonight totally embodied what it was built for," UFC CEO Dana White said. "There should be a picture of that fight in the dictionary."
Holloway walked away with $600,000 after one of his biggest nights. The UFC gave $300,000 bonuses on Saturday in honor of UFC 300, and Holloway won a Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night.
White could barely contain his glee at the way the fight unfolded. It was a sensational card from top to bottom, and expectations for Holloway and Gaethje were outsized going into the event. It exceeded all expectations and the finish was something out of a movie.
"The last 10 seconds was the Arturo Gatti shit I always talk about that fight fans love," White said, referring to the International Boxing Hall of Famer who was one of the most exciting fighters in the sport's history.
It was an awe-inspiring, exhilirating moment. The crowd, which paid a gate of $16.5 million, erupted as Gaethje hit the canvas face first, a deafening sound. Everyone was on their feet, delirious, hardly believing what they'd just seen.
"This is what baddest mother f*ckers are known for," Holloway said, grinning.
Holloway said he wants to change the name of the belt to "Best Man Forever," and in his case, it would mean a lot.
He's a fighter's fighter, beloved by his peers and fans alike. Even in defeat -- he's lost three times to Alex Volkanovski in featherweight title fights -- he put on a great show and left the fans wanting more.
He has endured like few others, and reminded the media that he's only 32. There are plenty more big fights. He's probably going to fight featherweight champion Ilia Topuria next, and still wants a rematch with Volkanovski.
"If Volk's still around, I want to fight him one more time," Holloway said.
He'll pretty much fight anyone and when he does, it's going to produce the kind of result that leaves the fans asking for more.