Justin Gaethje broke down how his accuracy and footwork have made his opponent’s faces “look like a car crash.”
Through twelve UFC fights, Gaethje has solidified himself as one of the most entertaining fighters to step into the Octagon. On Saturday night, he looks to add another legendary performance to his highlight reel, as he defends his BMF title in a lightweight bout against Max Holloway at the highly-anticipated UFC 300.
Before going to war against Holloway, Gaethje joined his close friend Kamaru Usman and former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo for an episode of Pound 4 Pound. While discussing ‘Blessed’ moving from featherweight to lightweight, ‘The Highlight’ had this to say:
“It’s a very different circumstance [then when he fought Dustin Poirier in 2019]. I think he’s going to be strong. I think he’s going to be fast. Hopefully not as fast because he’s going to be bigger, but he’s gonna be big. He’s gonna be just as big as me, I guarantee that.”
Gaethje has a reputation for inflicting significant damage to his opponent, regardless of the result. The former interim UFC lightweight champion explained why during the previously mentioned podcast appearance:
“My accuracy is up there with the best fighters that have ever stepped in there. I’m accurate with my shots, and I’m becoming more accurate as time goes on and as each fight passes. I’m sitting there at like 60, 65 percent. I do not not land shots, and I constantly create damage and even if I’m trying not to. That’s my mindset. I’m gonna not try to make it happen, and for some reason, their face looks like a car crash every single time. I trust that’s gonna happen, I’m gonna be able to do that with the skills I possess.”
Justin Gaethje explains his primary technique leading to success inside the Octagon
There are various reasons that Justin Gaethje has evolved into a world-class fighter, including his power, durability, and high-level team. During his conversation with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, Gaethje explained one of the primary reasons he’s succeeded and how that will impact his UFC 300 battle with Max Holloway:
“If he wants to sit on his back foot, I’m gonna have the opportunity to kick his leg more. Once his leg starts to get too damaged, I’m gonna have to start being aggressive and it’s going to be controlling range, creating angles, and using my feet. Controlling their feet is all my coach talks about to me, Kamaru [Usman], any guy he works with or girl.”
Gaethje continued:
“It’s about controlling their feet. If their feet aren’t set, they can’t take the shots. If their feet aren’t set, they can’t control power. I have to keep his feet moving and that’s the reason I’ve been successful. Fiziev, Poirier, I led the dance and that’s what I do. I’ve worked on footwork. Most coaches show you punches to throw. My coach shows me how to move my feet and the punches just come.”
Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway will enter Saturday night with two-fight win streaks. Firstly, ‘The Highlight’ is one win away from a lightweight title shot after going to war with Rafael Fiziev (majority decision) and knocking out Dustin Poirier with a highlight-reel head kick.
Meanwhile, ‘Blessed’ may not have much experience at lightweight, but he’s riding momentum after his recent featherweight run. Following a unanimous decision win against Arnold Allen, Holloway retired ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung with a third-round knockout in August 2023.
Watch Gaethje’s entire podcast appearance on Pound 4 Pound below:
