Max Holloway scored 'KO of the Century' that left Justin Gaethje snoring on the canvas and shocked the world at UFC 300
Yesterday at 02:00 PM
Each year, the UFC produces some utterly incredible moments in the sporting world and 2024 was no different.
In 2024, there have been several scintillating knockouts inside the Octagon, from bizarre one-of-a-kind strikes, to buzzer-beater overhands.
With 2024 in the books, the Bloody Elbow staff have given their picks for the KO of the year, with the decision being completely unanimous.
Ilia Topuria scored two incredibly impressive KO’s this year against Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway but even ‘El Matador’ just missed out.
2024 was the year where we saw the first double-spinning back-fist KO scored when Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov continued to impress in the promotion.
Bloody Elbow staff awards for 2024 KO of the Year
Jordan Ellis: “Max Holloway wins this award. For me, it’s not even close. ‘Blessed’ scored one of the greatest knockouts in MMA history when he put Justin Gaethje to sleep with one second left in their UFC 300 BMF title fight.”
Donagh Corby: “Max Holloway UFC 300. How could you top this incredible finish from Max Holloway at the end of his fight with Justin Gaethje on the biggest event of the year? The beauty of the moment is that Holloway didn’t need to engage in such a risky endeavor. The legend of his last-second KO means fans remember this back-and-forth brawl, which just wasn’t the case. He was winning comfortably and still swung for the finish to entertain viewers.”
Jamie Theodosi: “Max Holloway's KO of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. Not only was this the best KO of 2024, but it's a moment that will get shown till the end of time and has become an iconic moment in UFC history.”
Tom Llewellyn: “By no means the most technical knockout of 2024, Max Holloway's last-second stunner unequivocally deserves to win 'KO of the Year' because simply; it was the one finish where it felt like the world stood still.
Granted, those last 10 seconds arrived at 4:30 AM in the morning here in the UK when everything was already still, but the point still stands – Max Holloway, redefining the meaning of a 'Highlight Reel KO'.”
James Sweetnam: “Of all the brutal knockouts that we’ve experienced this year, nothing comes close to Max Holloway rendering Justin Gaethje unconscious. It wasn’t just the historic stage of UFC 300 that made it special, but the manner in which the finish happened. After a truly magnificent contest, ‘Blessed’ called his rival into the center of the octagon, and the pair of brawlers personified what the sport is all about as they swung for the fences in a truly epic ending to the bout. With just one second left on the clock, the Hawaiian detonated the shot heard around the world as he connected with his opponent, sending him spiraling toward the canvas, in a moment that fans will remember for a very long time to come.”
Curtis Calhoun: “Holloway’s buzzer-beating knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 will stand the test of time in MMA lore. After 4+ rounds of outpointing Gaethje, Holloway decided to throw technique and strategy out the window in favor of a phonebooth scrap with Gaethje in the final seconds.”
Honorable mentions for 2024 KO of the Year
As well as the aforementioned KO’s by the current featherweight king and Shara ‘Bullet’, there have been several other incredible knockout blows this year.
One that will likely fly under the radar because of the fact it was on a Fight Night at the UFC Apex is Vinicius Oliveira’s wild flying knee against Bernardo Sopaj.
Similarly is Esteban Ribovics’ terrifying head kick KO against Terrance McKinney which again unfortunately took place in the confines of the Apex.
Another honorable mention is a spinning wheel kick KO landed by ‘The King of Kung Fu’, Muslim Salikhov when he rendered Kenan Song unconscious.
