Justin Gaethje, the current BMF champion, is synonymous with his nickname, ‘Highlight.’ The Arizona native is often described as the human highlight ree for his extraordinary mixed martial art skills.
In his storied MMA career, Gaethje has fought the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier, Eddie Alvarez, and Charles Oliveira, to name a few. Interestingly enough, the BMF champion has also fought a congenital amputee for a world title.
Justin Gaethje vs one-armed fighter Nick Newell
The highly anticipated World Series of Fighting lightweight title in 2014 was between Justin Gaethje and Nick Newell. The fight exceeded all expectations as both fighters entered the bout with undefeated records.
Nick Newell, a congenital amputee with one arm, showcased impressive skills early in the fight. He landed combinations and even posed a threat with his submission attempts. However, Gaethje found his rhythm and landed powerful shots that visibly took a toll on Newell. By the end of the first round, Newell was visibly fatigued. In the second round, Gaethje continued to apply pressure on Newell, ultimately securing a knockout victory.
This triumph not only crowned Gaethje as the WSOF lightweight champion, but it also marked the beginning of his rise in the MMA world. Following this pivotal victory, Gaethje went on to achieve five more wins in the promotion before signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In the UFC, he continued to impress with his performances, ultimately securing the UFC interim lightweight title.
In a recent milestone, Gaethje added the UFC BMF title to his list of achievements after a convincing win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291. These accomplishments solidify Gaethje’s position as one of the top fighters in the highly competitive lightweight division. The Highlight is now awaiting the winner of the title fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.
Update on Justin Gaethje’s next bout
Fresh from his recent knockout victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291, Justin Gaethje is open to the idea of facing the winner of the lightweight title fight at UFC 294. The Makhachev-Oliveira rematch is set for October. They first fought at UFC 280, where Makhachev defeated Oliveira via submission to claim the vacant lightweight title.
Gaethje still doesn’t have plans to attend UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. However, he expressed interest in being cage-side for the event in an ESPN MMA interview. Gaethje discussed a potential timeline for the bout suggesting that if Makhachev wins, he might aim for another fight before next Ramadan.
Gaethje noted that his previous visit to Abu Dhabi was limited by COVID-19 restrictions. However, he expressed a willingness to attend the event. Gaethje is currently on a two-fight win streak after losing the title fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 274.
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