Justin Gaethje has receipts to back claims that he is UFC’s most exciting fighter. Gaethje is the only athlete to win post-fight bonuses in his first seven fights. Even more remarkable, Gaethje has received 13 post-fight bonuses in 13 fights. Despite his unprecedented penchant for violence, Gaethje thinks he has been fighting too safely.
“I fell into a tendency to not move forward as much as I should in this sport,” Gaethje told CBS Sports ahead of UFC 313 on Saturday. “If you look at the champions, they’re moving forward 70 or 80% of the time. I think that has to be implemented if you want to be successful in this sport. Through Michael Chandler and Rafael Fiziev, I found success in being safer. Ultimately, that’s not the answer.”
Gaethje’s assessments of his recent victories are peculiar. While Gaethje fights with more composure lately, it hasn’t diluted his marauding style. The Chandler fight was CBS Sports’ 2021 Fight of the Year. Against Fiziev, who he rematches on short notice on Saturday, Gaethje helped produce what several publications crowned 2023’s Round of the Year.
Gaethje’s recent loss to Max Holloway sparked his renewed ambition to march forward. Holloway outstruck Gaethje in four of five rounds before delivering a buzzer-beater knockout anointed CBS Sports’ 2024 KO of the Year. It wasn’t the KO, but the rounds before it that sparked an epiphany.
“Max Holloway is not a guy you can sit outside and wait for. He’s so fast. He has crazy skills when it comes to closing distance, I was very surprised at how fast he closed the distance,” Gaethje said. “In the fourth round, I implemented more of a forward strategy and I really think I won that round. He clipped me in the fifth round and put me on [q] street.
“It’s been a crazy process. This game is so crazy. I’ve had 37 fights and, f—, I still don’t know what the answer is.”
Check out the full interview with Justin Gaethje below.
Gaethje will test his latest hypothesis at UFC 313. Gaethje made his name in World Series of Fighting — now the Professional Fighters League — before signing with UFC. Gaethje was relentless in the WSOF, finishing 90% of his fights and capturing the promotion’s inaugural lightweight title.
“If you watched the World Series of Fighting Gaethje, that’s who you’re going to see but more refined,” Gaethje said. “Obviously, I have much better skills than I had in those days. That’s my mindset.”
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