Outlook: “The Highlight” took a big risk in defending his BMF title against Max Holloway. He not only risked the symbolic belt, but he also put his position in the lightweight title race on the line. Gaethje very well could have fought for the lightweight title in place of Poirier if Oliveira never had to pull out of the rematch with Makhachev. But those things happened, and so did his fight with Holloway. Gaethje found himself on the back foot for most of his clash with the former featherweight champion, and with his knockout loss with just one second left, he more than likely found himself on the outside looking in the title photo. That said, he still holds a win over Poirier from last year, which could well set up a trilogy if Poirier manages to dethrone Makhachev. However, given the result against Holloway, it could take some time for Gaethje to recover and return to a different-looking Top 5, depending on how things pan out over the next 4-6 months.