Athletes
Justin Gaethje | Ready To Go Again
With Title Aspirations Top Of Mind, Justin Gaethje Returns To The Octago After 11 Months Away, Hoping To Get His Hand Raised In Spectacular Fashion At UFC 313
Justin Gaethje is many things — an elite mixed martial artist, your favorite fighter’s favorite fighter, a human highlight reel — and realistic is among those traits. “The Highlight” has always been rather frank about the toll his all-action fighting style takes and the wars which that approach takes and, at 36 years old, he knows his window to claim undisputed UFC gold isn’t as wide as it once was. That said, he remains a fixture in the lightweight title picture, a spot he has occupied for the better part of eight years. As he approaches a rematch with Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313, he feels refreshed and ready to make another go at the top.
“I'm certainly not at the beginning of the journey anymore,” Gaethje told UFC.com. “I left to go to college 18 years ago, and I've been on the same journey since I left my hometown of Safford, Arizona. I've loved it. I'm so thankful to God for just providing this opportunity for me to perform on the biggest stage in the world, to inspire people from across the world. That’s a big part of why I do what I do. The way that I compete is inspirational to people. I think humans recognize effort. I've seen it countless times, and I give max effort, and I'm ready to do it again.”
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Gaethje arguably had every right to sit and wait for a title shot after he knocked out Dustin Poirier to win the “BMF” belt in July 2023. However, he put it all on the line for a dream matchup against Max Holloway at UFC 300. The two put on what was arguably the best fight of the year, but a last-second right hand from Holloway rendered Gaethje unconscious.
Instead of challenging Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title, Gaethje spent the preceding six months prioritizing recovery. Although he believes the “human body is resilient,” he understood suffering a loss of that nature then requires the subsequent down time to heal. He promised himself he wouldn’t take contact for six months, and he did just that.
As is life when you’re Justin Gaethje, he soon got the call for his next fight: a five-round co-main event against fellow all-gas-no-brakes fighter Dan Hooker. That is until Hooker hurt his hand and was forced to pull out of the matchup less than two weeks ahead of their bout. A whirlwind followed, and by storm’s end, Gaethje had a new, but familiar, opponent in Rafael Fiziev, whom Gaethje beat via majority decision at UFC 286.
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“It was definitely a little bit stressful,” he said. “I was like, ‘S**t, I really want to fight. I want to get in there.’ I know that a lot of fans had already purchased their tickets to watch me fight. I'm glad Fiziev stepped up and I'm grateful to him for that. I think the UFC is grateful to replace Dan Hooker with a guy that's just as exciting.”
The rematch hits the sweet spot few replacements can. It’s almost equally as exciting as the original matchup, and although Fiziev is coming off two losses and a long, injury-induced layoff, it remains a high-stakes fight as well.
Gaethje is of the belief that each fight is a “unique experience,” and so he isn’t pulling too much out of their March 2023 bout. In that fight, though, Fiziev got off to a bright start. His explosiveness and speed seemed to give Gaethje some problems initially, but over the course of the fight, Gaethje adjusted accordingly and left Fiziev a bloody mess by bout’s end. The fight, despite going to the scorecards, highlighted Gaethje’s experience and ability to stay patient, and he also shared plenty of respect for his counterpart.
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“He's world class,” Gaethje said. “He's been training and focusing on striking his whole life. I was a little bit different, as I wrestled my entire life growing up. He’s a world class athlete. He's very explosive, very powerful. I'm excited to try and get the finish this time, but I'm going to fight smart. Against a guy that dangerous, you have to be perfect and not make mistakes.”
In the lead-up to fight night, Gaethje has mentioned a desire to get back to the in-your-face style that made him so dangerous, as well as popular. The higher level of competition he faced in the promotion forced him to gradually learn how to pick his spots and stay out of harm’s way a little bit more, but with that mindfulness in tow, Gaethje believes fans will get more than their money’s worth on March 8.
While the fight with Hooker might have a held a little more steam considering Hooker’s run of form, Gaethje knows all that matters is getting his hand raised and putting his name back in the mix for gold. If he does so in spectacular fashion—and history suggests as much is coming, one way or another—Gaethje could set himself up well for the rest of 2025.
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“At the end of the day, it's about putting myself in the win column,” he said. “Championship fights are about timing. And I think with a nice, decisive, exciting win, there will be no doubt that I'll be one of the people that they consider to fight for a title.”
UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 8, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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