VIDEO: UFC releases mic'd up footage of Marc Goddard's "first time in 20 years" reaction during wild Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway finish
The BMF title fight between Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 surpassed all expectations last weekend, and referee Marc Goddard had an unprecedented reaction to the Hawaiian native's incredible movie-like finish.
For context, Holloway took home the UFC's 'Baddest Motherf**ker' title by securing a fifth-round knockout victory over Gaethje. After five hard-fought rounds, 'Blessed' notably pointed to the canvas in the final 10 seconds of the final screen to invite Gaethje to a stand-and-bang exchange, which 'The Highlight' accepted.
After a serious exchange of haymakers, Holloway caught Gaethje with a hard right hand and put him to sleep with one second on the clock. This sequence had fans on the edge of their seats, and Goddard was no exception. After the event, he revealed that he screamed out at the KO, something he hadn't done in 20 years.
In an X post, Goddard called for the UFC to release the mic'd up footage of his reaction to Holloway's victory and wrote:
"I'd love the UFC to release the mic’d audio from me. I literally screamed out at that ending, the first time in 20 years. It was an automatic reaction I guess. I’m still speechless. Still have goosebumps. Both of these guys are the epitome of our sport. Sheer class. What a privilege."
Check out Marc Goddard's tweet below:
It appears the UFC obliged the veteran MMA referee and uploaded a video showing him screaming out after Gaethje hit the ground. Goddard can be heard crying out before yelling:
"It's over. It's over."
Max Holloway opens up about facing Justin Gaethje's incredible power in the cage
Max Holloway recently gave Justin Gaethje his flowers for being one of the hardest-hitting fighters in the UFC and lauded the former BMF champion's power. As mentioned, Holloway outperformed Gaethje over five rounds at UFC 300 before securing a stunning last-second knockout victory to take the BMF title home.
In the aftermath, Holloway spoke to Pat McAfee on The Pat McAfee Show about feeling Gaethje's unreal power during their fight. Praising 'The Highlight' for his powerful kicks, Holloway said:
"The punches, he hits hard don't get me wrong. But when we were in that last ten seconds, he was missing, but the wind was hitting me, and it hurt. His kicks, brother; the guy kicks like a donkey or something. [Or a] kangaroo, that guy kicks hard."
Check out Max Holloway's comments below:
After the fight, 'Blessed' grabbed the microphone during his octagon interview and called out featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and lightweight king Islam Makhachev for a high-profile championship showdown.