As UFC 324 approaches, attention has briefly shifted away from matchups and rankings toward a visible mark on Justin Gaethje’s neck. What began as a screenshot circulating online quickly turned into speculation, prompting Gaethje to address the situation himself.
Gaethje explained the mark as an ingrown hair, a claim that former UFC title challenger and longtime analyst Chael Sonnen does not believe. While Sonnen openly questioned the explanation, he also made it clear that the matter does not meaningfully change anything about the upcoming event.
Sonnen explains why he is skeptical
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sonnen addressed how the discussion gained traction and why he disagrees with Gaethje’s assessment, even though he does not see it as a serious concern.
“Somewhere, the media picked up on this,” Sonnen said. “Now, Justin Gaethje countered it to let you know that he doesn’t have staph, it was an in ingrown hair. I’m not a doctor. I see staph all the time. I’ve got staph on my own arm right now, but looking at a picture and trying to tell what Justin Gaethje has, I don’t know what he has. He does not have an ingrown hair. That I do know. So he is lying about something, but is that interesting? Does that matter? Not to me.”
Sonnen emphasized that his disagreement is based on observation rather than diagnosis, repeatedly noting that he is not offering a medical conclusion.
Would regulators be concerned
Although Sonnen dismissed the controversy from a fan perspective, he acknowledged that athletic commission doctors could view the situation differently.
“First off, will the fight go on?” Sonnen asked. “Is that a question we’re asking? I’m rather confident that it will. A general staph infection like a wrestler or grappler would get, it takes three days to solve something like this. Secondly, would it affect the fight because you’re talking about a medication taken? This is how I’m interpreting the question. No, I don’t think so. I also don’t know what it is that Justin has on his neck. I know it is not an ingrown hair.”
The Nevada State Athletic Commission routinely evaluates fighters close to event week, and Sonnen suggested that process would determine whether any action is needed.
Fans are speculating that Justin Gaethje could be dealing with a staph infection after footage surfaced showing a mysterious wound on his neck just a few weeks out from #UFC324 😬 pic.twitter.com/pdG4jZ8BkD
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 6, 2026
The cover story matters more than the mark
Sonnen later returned to the subject from a credibility standpoint, stating that the explanation itself created unnecessary attention.
“That’s my only concern is that he came out — the cover-up is always worse than the crime. So if he thinks he has an ingrown hair … let’s just say for example, I can tell you that’s not an ingrown hair. But if he genuinely thinks that, that’s not just a cover story, then it could be staph, which means it could spread. And when it’s this visible, it could be an issue. But I think that we’re talking about nothing.”
Despite questioning the reasoning, Sonnen ultimately downplayed any practical consequence.
Betting odds and matchup remain unchanged
Gaethje is scheduled to face Paddy Pimblett in the interim lightweight title fight, and the discussion around the neck mark has not altered public expectations or sportsbook lines.
“So would it affect the odds of the Justin Gaethje fight? No,” Sonnen said. “This isn’t my opinion. This came out yesterday, DraftKings, the line has not budged. It didn’t budge anymore than when it got revealed that ‘Paddy the Baddy’ had lost a grappling match over the weekend. Could it turn into a thing? I would be very confident in telling you ‘no’ if I was confident that Gaethje doesn’t truly think that that’s an ingrown hair.” via MMAMania
At 37 years old, Gaethje enters UFC 324 as the betting underdog, with the focus still centered on his matchup rather than the brief distraction.
