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During a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Justin Gaethje opened up about his feelings towards the three-round battle against Michael Chandler. Still, the lightweight title challenger insists the brawl didn't affect him.
As promised in the exciting build-up to their fight, both 'The Highlight' and the former Bellator 155lbs champion went toe-to-toe in the center of the octagon, giving fans an instant-classic matchup in the process. The two fan favorites endured a 15-minute battle, earning the clash "fight-of-the-year" honors.
Speaking with Megan Olivi, Justin Gaethje answered the question of how, inside a sold-out Madison Square Garden, the meeting with Michael Chandler affected him, saying:
"I'm kinda of weird in a way, it didn't impact me in any way, whatsoever. It was fun, it was a great experience, it'll be cool to talk about when I'm done. I have seven nieces, two nephews, these stories are for them. One day, I'll have kids, and these stories will be for them... It was awesome, the whole night, the whole experience was awesome, but it was, in my mind, no different than [my] first fight."
The NCAA Division I wrestler now finds himself in his second UFC title bout as he attempts to pry the lightweight title away from Charles Oliveira's grasp. Chandler started his career in the promotion with a knockout win over Dan Hooker but is now enduring a two-fight losing streak to Oliveira and Gaethje.
Check out Megan Olivi's interview with Gaethje below:
Justin Gaethje's time in the UFC
Entering the UFC as the World Series of Fighting lightweight champion with a flawless 17-0 record, Justin Gaethje quickly became one to watch as he collected two bonuses following his technical knockout victory over Michael Johnson. Despite losing the next two bouts to Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, Gaethje collected the Fight of the Night bonuses for both fights.
After changing his game plan, the 33-year-old won five of his last six matchups, with the only loss coming to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Gaethje will get his second chance at gold when he meets Charles Oliveira and headlines the upcoming UFC 274 on May 7.
