What is the "towel gate" beef between Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje? The 2017 incident that 'Blessed' wants to jokingly avenge at UFC 300
Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje are gearing up for a BMF title showdown at UFC 300 on April 13 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
However, the former UFC featherweight champion appears to have his sights set beyond just vying for the ceremonial belt.
During a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Holloway was questioned about whether the infamous "towel gate" incident during the UFC 218 weigh-ins would fuel his desire to secure a victory against Gaethje at UFC 300. He replied:
"Brother I told him, brother... He even told me, he was like, 'Brother, it just looked like you wanted to get off the scales, so I just threw the towel over.' I am like, 'Bro, you did the right thing.' But I am not going to forget that, Gaethje. I guess that is the whole beef... That is the way to settle this fight. What is that? That’s a towel gate, right? We can call it the towel gate. He got me off the scale sooner than later."
Check out Max Holloway's comments below (16:00):
During the UFC 218 official weigh-ins in December 2017, Gaethje accidentally exposed Holloway's private parts after offering to hold the towel for 'Blessed', who had to undress to meet the championship weight requirement for his rematch against UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo.
'The Highlight' initially raised the towel in front of the scale, obstructing the view of the weight. Upon being instructed by officials to position the towel between the scale and Holloway, Gaethje promptly complied. However, in doing so, he inadvertently left the Hawaiian native exposed.
Check out the entire incident below:
The UFC has improved its measures to prevent accidental exposure during weigh-ins. Previously, fighters relied solely on two individuals holding up a towel on either side of the scale. Now, the promotion utilizes a sturdy booth enclosed on all sides to minimize the risk of such incidents.
Max Holloway reflects on past interaction with Justin Gaethje
Ahead of their BMF title bout at UFC 300, Max Holloway recently reminisced about his initial encounter with Justin Gaethje during the early stages of their careers.
During the same interview with ESPN MMA, 'Blessed' shared that the former UFC interim lightweight champion had extended an offer to give his team a ride around in Denver:
"He was just at the gym [when we first met] and he asked us, 'Hey, do you need to go some place?' as he saw we needed a ride. He was a cool dude. He's a real one."
He also expressed appreciation for the positive trajectory of their careers:
"I'm excited and I'm glad we're crossing paths again. To see both our careers burst into what it is is amazing and being able to step into the octagon with this man means a lot." (14:05)