UFC FREEDOM 250
Athletes
Justin Gaethje | Once More With Feeling | UFC Freedom 250
American Standout Driven To Achieve His Championship Dream On Sunday Night | UFC Freedom 250 Presented by Crypto.com
There is a different level of focus and intensity to Justin Gaethje this week as he readies to take on Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday night at the White House, one that has been present since the tail end of last year when the all-action veteran began to make clear his desire to challenge for the UFC lightweight title one more time.
Gaethje, who has fought for the undisputed belt twice before and been a mainstay in the title picture throughout his UFC tenure, publicly pondered his future in the sport if there wasn’t a clear path or direct opportunity to face Topuria on the horizon. And when the champion announced he needed to press pause on his reign to focus on familial issues, resulting in the creation of an interim title, Gaethje’s road to one more shot came into view.
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In the build-up to his UFC 324 clash with Paddy Pimblett, the 37-year-old American addressed his dismissiveness regarding the interim title the first time he won it back in 2020 as the promotion soldiered on through the pandemic, and when he claimed the belt with a unanimous decision win over the Liverpool native earlier this year, there was a clear sense that it meant more to him this time.
Justin Gaethje Fight Week Interview | UFC Freedom 250
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Justin Gaethje Fight Week Interview | UFC Freedom 250
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Now, days away from getting the opportunity he coveted, Gaethje has been clear and direct about what this means to him.
“It’s been the same thing: trying to accomplish something that I set out a long time ago to do, and that’s to be the best in the world,” Gaethje said. “I’m fighting for a championship belt, and with a win here, that recognizes me as the best in the world in this weight division, so that has been the goal since day one.
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“A driving factor is how big of an underdog I am, how much I’m being counted out, and that’s always when I perform my best, so I’m happy to be in this position.
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“All the noise comes from people who have no idea what it’s like or what it takes to be in the position that I’m in,” Gaethje said. “I’ve committed and sacrificed my entire life to be here, so I understand I control my emotions; I control how I react to different situations. I always stay true to myself and understand that at the end of the road, there are 25 minutes where I have to be perfect, but it’s not today, not tomorrow, but on June 14th.”
Gaethje has been in this exact position before.
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In the spring of 2020, he claimed the interim title for the first time with a masterful performance against Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, setting up a showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov five months later in Abu Dhabi. The Russian champion rolled to a victory, submitting Gaethje in the second round before shocking the MMA world by announcing his retirement from the sport.
Justin Gaethje's American Story | UFC Freedom 250
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Justin Gaethje's American Story | UFC Freedom 250
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Two fights later, “The Highlight” was back in a position to potentially make his chief professional goal come true, facing off with Charles Oliveira in his home state of Arizona for the vacant lightweight title. For the second time, he came up short, suffering a first-round submission loss to the talented Brazilian.
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Since then, Gaethje has posted four wins in five starts, two victories on either side of his UFC 300 loss to Max Holloway, affirming his standing as one of the division’s elites while securing himself the chance to share the Octagon with Topuria on Sunday.
“All the experience I’ve had — I’ve fought for the belt three or four times, had a couple BMF championship fights — and experience is king when it comes to these situations,” offered Gaethje. “The mistakes I’ve made in the past, I’ve learned from them. The times I’ve been perfect, I’ve learned from and take from those, but this is a whole different experience, a whole different fight. Each fight is so different.
“I’m so ready — I’ve put so much work and preparation into this camp. I’ve been here before; I failed a couple of times, and I’ve learned from those mistakes.
“Every fight is different; I plan for every fight separately, and I really rely on my coach, Trevor Wittman, to instill that game plan into my workouts on a daily basis,” Gaethje said. “We definitely have — there has always been a method to the madness, and luckily, I have great skills when it comes to being able to fight — to take punches and punch people —and I’m ready for this challenge. This guy is great, and I’m ready to go out there and prove everybody wrong.”
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Calling Topuria “great” might be an understatement, as the 29-year-old owns a 9-0 record in the UFC, 17-0 mark overall, and is one of 11 athletes to win UFC gold in two weight classes. He heads into Sunday’s main event having earned consecutive stoppage wins over Alexander Volkanovski and Holloway to win and successfully defend the featherweight title before moving up and running through Oliveira last summer to claim the lightweight strap.
Justin Gaethje | Knockout Tour
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UFC Freedom 250 Presented By Crypto.com & RAM
Justin Gaethje | Knockout Tour
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He’s currently stationed at No. 2 in the pound-for-pound rankings and the gap in total number of UFC victories between him and welterweight ruler Islam Makhachev seems to be the only thing keeping him from the No. 1 spot.
But that too is why the moment carries so much weight for Gaethje and has brought about this more noticeable intensity and focus, because as big as winning the title would be, winning the title off Topuria would be the icing on the cake.
“To accomplish this goal would mean absolutely everything for me, my coaches, my family,” he stated. “Everything I’ve sacrificed has been to get here, and to be able to accomplish something that I’ve set out to accomplish a long time ago would feel amazing, and that’s the feeling I’m chasing.”
When asked how he believes the fight will play out and what new viewers should expect when he and Topuria step in together, Gaethje made sure to paint a simple and accurate picture.
“People should expect us to try to beat the s*** out of each other because that is definitely what’s going to happen.”
UFC Freedom 250 presented by Crypto.com and Ram took place live from the White House in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 14. See the Official Results, Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!