Usman voiced the reason for Gatji's defeat in his fight with Holloway

"A second before the end of the first round, Max broke his nose with a leg kick from the turn, and that played a huge role because you can't breathe properly after something like that. There were also two pokes to the eyes, clear and obvious. And it's not about whether Max did it accidentally or intentionally - it happened, and things like that can change the course of a fight," Usman said on Henry Sejudo's podcast.

Recall that Gaethje lost to Holloway by knockout in the fifth round and lost the symbolic belt of the BMF.