Daniel Cormier awestruck by how Max Holloway 'was floating' before UFC 300 knockout of Justin Gaethje

Daniel Cormier was in awe of Max Holloway’s performance against Justin Gaethje.

Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) knocked out Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) in the last second to claim the BMF title Saturday at UFC 300 – a fight he was en route to winning regardless.

In the final 10 seconds, Holloway lured Gaethje into the middle of the octagon to throw down, resulting in an iconic last-second knockout. Cormier praised Holloway’s overall performance, not just his knockout.

“Watching Max Holloway in there, it was never more clear that you cannot let him get into his rhythm,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “Max Holloway, when he gets into his rhythm, he is a handful. We have seen him make guys like ‘The Korean Zombie,’ Brian Ortega, we have seen him make Jose Aldo and now Justin Gaethje, he made them all seem normal.

“These are not normal athletes. These are assassins. When he gets to flowing, you can’t stay with him. You’ve got to disrupt his rhythm very early. Even if it’s just kicking at his legs like Volkanovski did in fight No. 1 to not allow for him to get going. I feel like, when watching Max Holloway, who’s one of my best buds, in there this weekend, this guy was floating.”

Cormier labeled Holloway’s knockout as the most incredible moment in UFC history.

“Max could’ve been knocked out,” Cormier said. “So, the risk vs. the reward. Ultimately, the reward paying off in the way that it did, that is the biggest holy sh*t moment I’ve ever seen in UFC history.”