Knockouts can happen at any moment in mixed martial arts, and history keeps proving there's no such thing as a safe second. Max Holloway learned that when he knocked out Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in 2024 with just one second left on the clock, tying Yair Rodriguez for the latest finish in UFC history. Jairzinho Rozenstruik has authored multiple buzzer-beater stoppages of his own, once finishing Alistair Overeem with a bomb of a right hand in the final seconds after trailing for the entire five-round fight. Derrick Lewis famously knocked out Alexander Volkov with just 11 seconds left after being dominated for three rounds straight. Known for relentless danger and ferocious finality, a single mistake in the final second can erase an entire fight in combat sports.
With one second remaining on the clock at UFC 300, Max Holloway delivered one of the most stunning finishes in promotional history, knocking out Justin Gaethje to tie Yair Rodriguez's record for the latest stoppage ever recorded in the UFC.
Holloway, now 28-9, is a 34-year-old orthodox striker from Hawaii competing at lightweight, where he holds the number four ranking and sits ninth in the pound-for-pound standings. Trained out of Gracie Technics, he has long been recognized as one of the sport's most relentless offensive forces, landing an extraordinary 6.92 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy — numbers that reflect a fighter who never truly stops throwing, and never truly stops being dangerous.
Gaethje, the lightweight champion at the time of the bout, carried a 28-5 record into the fight at 37 years old. The Arizona native out of Genesis Training Center is himself one of the division's most aggressive and productive strikers, landing 6.48 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy rate of 58 percent. A fight between two fighters of that output was always capable of ending in an instant.
The finish also invites comparison to other historic buzzer-beater stoppages. Jairzinho Rozenstruik, the 38-year-old heavyweight from Suriname who trains at American Top Team and carries a 15-6 record, authored a similarly stunning late finish against Alistair Overeem, landing a right hand in the final seconds after trailing for the vast majority of the fight. Derrick Lewis similarly knocked out Alexander Volkov with just 11 seconds remaining after being dominated for three rounds.
Why it matters
- The finish ties Yair Rodriguez for the latest stoppage in UFC history, cementing it as one of the most memorable moments in the promotion's run.
- It reinforces that championship rounds, and even championship seconds, carry the same lethal margin as any other moment in a fight.
- The result has significant lightweight title implications, given Gaethje's status as champion entering the bout.
