5 jaw-dropping Justin Gaethje fights outside the UFC

Justin Gaethje has been a fan favorite throughout his professional career, and with good reason. The UFC lightweight is among the most entertaining fighters to ever grace the octagon. With his controlled chaos and stunning knockouts, he has compiled one of the greatest highlight reels we've ever seen in the sport.

Gaethje joined the UFC in 2017, boasting a perfect 17-0 professional record. Prior to joining the world's premier MMA organization, 'The Highlight' was a standout in the World Series of Fighting (WSOF), winning the promotion's lightweight title and defending it five times.

Justin Gaethje at a WSOF event [Image via @PFLMMA on Twitter]

Gaethje's scorching run in the WSOF is one of the most watchable win streaks MMA fans have ever witnessed. During his time in the promotion, he gained notoriety for being a devastating knockout artist, with his anti-wrestling sprawl-and-brawl style producing both barnbuners and spectacular finishes.

On that note, here are five jaw-dropping Justin Gaethje fights outside the UFC.

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#5. Justin Gaethje vs. Brian Foster – WSOF 29

During his time in the UFC, Justin Gaethje has developed a reputation for being one of the most devastating leg-kickers in all of MMA. In his bouts against Michael Johnson, Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler, Gaethje crippled his counterparts with calf kicks en route to victory.

'The Highlight' has been terrorizing his opponents' calves throughout his professional career. Perhaps the best example of the effectiveness of Gaethje's kicks is his bout against Brian Foster in the main event of WSOF 29.

Justin Gaethje was the reigning lightweight champion at the time. Having already defended his belt three times, he was eyeing a fourth title defense to further extend his championship reign when he squared off against Brian Foster.

Foster won an eight-man tournament to earn his place opposite Gaethje. He was significantly more experienced than 'The Highlight' with 34 professional fights under his belt, and boasted an astonishing 96% finish rate.

Right from the get-go, Gaethje closed the distance and started landing his trademark calf kicks from close range. Foster landed a few strikes of his own, but that didn't dissuade the champion from coming forward. Less than a minute into the fight, Gaethje landed a hard kick that temporarily folded his challenger.

Sensing his opportunity, Gaethje landed several blows to the left leg of Foster, who eventually crumbled to the canvas. Seeing that the challenger was unable to stand up, the referee called a halt to the action at 1:43 of the first round.

Watch the full fight below:

#4. Justin Gaethje vs. Melvin Guillard – WSOF 15

It's incredibly rare for a Justin Gaethje fight to reach the judges' scorecards. During his 17-fight unbeaten run prior to signing with the UFC, Gaethje finished all but two of his opponents, most via knockout. His style of fighting doesn't really facilitate cardio management and he's willing to set himself on fire just to burn his opponent, figuratively speaking, of course.

When fighters go the distance with Gaethje, the bouts tend to be considered 'Fight of the Year' contenders, owing to the non-stop action that 'The Highlight' brings every time. This was the case when he took on Melvin Guillard in the co-headliner of WSOF 15.

Gaethje stood right in front of Guillard throughout the bout and seemingly didn't take a single backward step. While he wasn't having much success with his punches early on, he landed calf kicks at will in the opening 10 minutes. Nevertheless, Guillard landed some significant blows, but they didn't seem to have any effect.

After two close rounds, 'The Highlight' turned up the pace and further damaged his opponent's lead leg. Guillard could barely walk and effectively became a one-legged fighter in the final few minutes. Somehow, he made it to the final bell, despite a late onslaught from Gaethje, who came away with a split decision win in the end.

Watch the full fight below:

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#3. Justin Gaethje vs. Luis Palomino 1 – WSOF 19

Following his barnburner with Melvin Guillard, Justin Gaethje was booked to take on rising contender Luis Palomino in his next bout. Having already defended his WSOF lightweight title once, the American had his sights set on a second defense of his belt when he locked horns with Palomino in the main event of WSOF 19.

Gaethje came out like a house on fire, getting in Palomino's face and throwing bombs at the retreating challenger. The champion dominated the first round, drowning his Peruvian counterpart with a non-stop barrage of punches. The duo were fighting at an incredible pace and looked exhausted going into the second.

Palomino bounced back in the next round, forcing 'The Highlight' to finally take a backward step after he landed some huge strikes. Gaethje was clearly rocked, but managed to recover in time and lived to see a third round.

He adopted a different approach in the final frame as he started targeting Palomino's legs instead of his head. As the challenger fatigued, Gaethje turned up the pressure and melted Palomino with his volume-striking. A powerful calf-kick dropped the challenger and subsequent strikes from Gaethje saw the referee finally intervene.

Given the back-and-forth nature of his bout with Luis Palomino, Justin Gaethje accepted a rematch against the Peruvian contender six months later. Their first encounter, however, remains one of the greatest fights in WSOF history.

Watch the full fight below:

#2. Justin Gaethje vs. Luis Palomino 2 – WSOF 23

Six months after his absolute slugfest with Luis Palomino at WSOF 19, Justin Gaethje ran it back with his former foe in the main event of WSOF 23. Just like their first encounter, the bout took place in Gaethje's home state of Arizona, where he was rapidly developing a fanbase for his fan-friendly style of fighting.

It's very rare to see a rematch of a barnburner live up to expectations. When the bar is already set so high, we hardly ever see a sequel live up to the first fight. This wasn't the case with the Justin Gaethje vs. Luis Palomino rematch, which delivered on all fronts.

The duo picked up where they left off in their first encounter, producing one of the best rounds of mixed martial arts you'll likely ever see. Both fighters dropped one another in the opening frame, but Gaethje seemingly managed to edge out the round with a takedown at the end.

The second round was nowhere near as close as the first. Gaethje suffocated Palomino with his volume just as he did in their initial meeting, and eventually knocked him out with 30 seconds to go on the clock.

With back-to-back wins over Luis Palomino, Justin Gaethje solidified his status as one of the most promising lightweights in the world, as well as one of the most dominant champions outside the UFC at the time.

Watch the full fight below:

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#1. Justin Gaethje vs. Luiz Firmino – WSOF 34

With four title defenses under his belt, Justin Gaethje effectively cleaned out the WSOF's lightweight division. Following a memorable two-fight series with Luis Palomino and his dominant showing against Brian Foster, the only top contender yet to face 'The Highlight' was Luiz Firmino, who he took on in the main event of WSOF 34 in New York City.

Luiz Firmino proved to be the toughest test for Justin Gaethje outside the UFC. The defending champion couldn't impose his will on the challenger and the bout was evenly contested all the way until the end of the third round.

Firmino's high-level grappling credentials deterred Gaethje from attempting any takedowns. On the feet, the Brazilian was just as powerful and durable as his American counterpart. The evenly-matched duo delivered an amazing war of attrition, showing incredible mental resolve and phenomenal skill.

Gaethje even landed a rolling thunder, a rare sight in MMA.

Gaethje was able to escape all of Firmino's submission attempts. He forced the challenger to stand-and-bang with him, and both fighters landed heavy blows on one another for three straight rounds.

By the end of the third, Firmino was wearing it and it looked as though his right eye was forced shut due to all the swelling around it. The on-duty doctor had a look and advised the referee to stop the fight, declaring Gaethje the victor via TKO.

While this fight didn't have a finish like the other entries on this list, it served a greater purpose. It sent an ominous warning to all the lightweights in the UFC that an unbreakable force was waiting for his moment to enter the mix.

Watch the full fight below:

Gaethje signed with the UFC a few months after this bout. In his first fight in the famed octagon, he knocked out Michael Johnson following a back-and-forth war reminiscent of his scintillating run in the WSOF.

He would go on to compete in multiple high-profile matchups and UFC championship bouts, adding to his action-packed highlight reel with every passing fight. When he does eventually hang up his gloves, 'The Highlight' will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most entertaining fighters of all time.