Justin Gaethje

Justin Gaethje

Personal Information

Full Name Justin Gaethje
Date of Birth November 13, 1988
Age 35 Years
Nationality American
Height 5 ft 11 in
Weight 155 lb (70 kg)
Nickname The Highlight
Championship Held Former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion
Weight Class Lightweight (155 lbs)
Reach 70 in
Career Stats 25-4-0
Status Active

Justin Gaethje News

UFC vet on four-fight win streak expresses interest in fighting Justin Gaethje, predicts he would knock out the former 'BMF' titleholder UFC vet on four-fight win streak expresses interest in fighting Justin Gaethje, predicts he would knock out the former 'BMF' titleholder
UFC vet on four-fight win streak expresses interest in fighting Justin Gaethje, predicts he would knock out the former 'BMF' titleholder
1h
Ali Abdelaziz shares bizarre reason Conor McGregor turned down Justin Gaethje five times: "Why do you think Michael Chandler being so nice?" Ali Abdelaziz shares bizarre reason Conor McGregor turned down Justin Gaethje five times: "Why do you think Michael Chandler being so nice?"
Ali Abdelaziz shares bizarre reason Conor McGregor turned down Justin Gaethje five times: "Why do you think Michael Chandler being so nice?"
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Justin Gaethje predicts UFC 308 upset, says Ilia Topuria's "touch" is powerful enough to break Max Holloway's "competitive spirit" in Abu Dhabi Justin Gaethje predicts UFC 308 upset, says Ilia Topuria's "touch" is powerful enough to break Max Holloway's "competitive spirit" in Abu Dhabi
Justin Gaethje predicts UFC 308 upset, says Ilia Topuria's "touch" is powerful enough to break Max Holloway's "competitive spirit" in Abu Dhabi
Dustin Poirier teases UFC comeback fight against Justin Gaethje with cryptic post Dustin Poirier teases UFC comeback fight against Justin Gaethje with cryptic post
Dustin Poirier teases UFC comeback fight against Justin Gaethje with cryptic post
Justin Gaethje tweets four-word retort at "evil" reaction to Donald Trump's golf course shooting, follows up with commentary on left-wing Justin Gaethje tweets four-word retort at "evil" reaction to Donald Trump's golf course shooting, follows up with commentary on left-wing
Justin Gaethje tweets four-word retort at "evil" reaction to Donald Trump's golf course shooting, follows up with commentary on left-wing

Justin Gaethje: A Brief Biography


justin garthje


Justin "The Highlight" Gaethje is a former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion and the current 'BMF' champion who is ranked second in his weight class. With a professional record of 25 wins and 4 losses (25-4-0), he started his MMA career in 2011 and has held titles in organizations like the UFC and World Series of Fighting.


Gaethje's last fight was a head-kick knockout victory against Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 in July 2023, where he also earned the 'BMF' title and a 'Performance of the Night' bonus. He's now gearing up for his first 'BMF' title defense against Max Holloway at UFC 300 on April 13, 2024.


Birth PlaceSafford, Arizona, USA
Father’s NameJohn Ray Gaethje
Mother’s NameCarolina Gaethje
Star SignScorpio
Net Worth (2024)$4 Million
Last Fight Earnings$652,000
Age34
EducationSafford High School/ University of Northern Colorado
MMA Debut2011
MMA Record25-4-0
AchievementsFormer WSOF Lightweight Champion and former UFC Interim lightweight champion.
EndorsementsReebok, CBDMD
Social MediaInstagram, Twitter


Early Life and Career

Justin Gaethje started wrestling at the age of 4 and continued it in high school, where he became a two-time state champion with a record of 191-9. Gaethje would get into MMA during his freshman year at college and make his amateur debut in 2008, which he won via KO Slam.


Gaethje amassed an amateur record of 7-0 before going professional and making his debut at ROF 41 which he won. Gaethje then went on a 7-fight win streak in the regional circuit before signing up with the World Series of Fighting. Justin would remain undefeated at The World Series of Fighting and would win and defend the WSOF Lightweight title 5 times before vacating it to join the UFC in 2017.


Justin Gaethje Personal Life

Justin Gaethje holds a bachelor's degree in Human Services from the University of Northern Colorado and has expressed his desire to work in social work with at-risk youth. His surname is of German origin, inherited from his German-American father.


Gaethje also underwent a photorefractive keratectomy in 2016 to correct his vision, which was previously very poor, affecting his ability to see during fights. He has been involved in politics, attending a rally for President Donald Trump in 2020 and praising Trump for his support of the UFC. Gaethje also has a YouTube channel.


Justin Gaethje Social Media

Justin Gaethje maintains an active presence on social media platforms. His Instagram account, with a whopping 2.2 million followers, features posts showcasing his training regimens, fight promotions, physique updates, and glimpses of his family life. You can follow him on Instagram here. Additionally, Justin Gaethje has a Twitter handle, with over 705,000 followers. You can find him on Twitter here.


Justin Gaethje Net Worth

Justin Gaethje has an estimated net worth of $5 million as of April 2024. Before making his mark in the lucrative UFC, Gaethje showcased his skills in the World Series of Fighting (WSOF), where he earned substantial paydays, leveraging his MMA fame. Upon transitioning to the UFC, Gaethje received his career-best payday of $302,500 for his debut fight, reflecting his established status in the sport. Notably, his clash with Khabib 'The Eagle' Nurmagomedov marked his largest UFC purse, reportedly totaling $1.2 million.


Justin Gaethje Endorsements

During his MMA journey, Gaethje has partnered with several projects, including endorsements with brands like Gains in Bulk and ONX Sports. Additionally, he has ventured into entrepreneurship by launching his own clothing line, Violent 1.


Justin Gaethje MMA Career

Justin Gaethje boasts an impressive professional MMA record of 25 wins and 4 losses (25-4-0). He began his journey with a successful amateur debut during his sophomore year in college, quickly transitioning to the professional scene in 2011 with a victory over Kevin Croom. Gaethje's dominance on the regional circuit earned him recognition, including a notable win over UFC veteran Drew Fickett.


His tenure with the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) showcased his talent as he secured victories over respected opponents like Gesias Cavalcante, Brian Cobb, and Dan Lauzon, ultimately capturing the inaugural WSOF Lightweight Championship.


Gaethje's transitioned to the UFC in 2017 , where he made an immediate impact by defeating Michael Johnson in a thrilling debut. Despite facing tough challenges, including losses to Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, Gaethje's violent fighting style and exciting fighting style earned him accolades and multiple Fight of the Night bonuses.


Notably, Gaethje's journey in the UFC included a remarkable victory over Tony Ferguson for the interim Lightweight Championship and a title unification bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov. His recent fights, including a memorable rematch against Dustin Poirier and a showdown with Rafael Fiziev, further solidified his reputation as a lightweight great.


Currently, Gaethje is set to face Max Holloway at UFC 300.


Justin Gaethje Losses

Justin Gaethje has suffered 4 losses in his professional MMA career.


Eddie Alvarez

Alvarez defeated Gaethje by KO/TKO (knee) in the third round at UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2 on December 2, 2017.


Dustin Poirier

Gaethje lost to Poirier via KO/TKO in the fourth round at UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Gaethje on April 14, 2018.


Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov: Gaethje suffered a submission loss (triangle choke) in the second round against Khabib at UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje on October 24, 2020.


Charles Oliveira

Oliveira secured a rear-naked choke submission victory over Gaethje in the first round at UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje on May 7, 2022.


Justin Gaethje Cars

The former interim champion's car collection consists of a powerful Nissan Titan XD, a sporty Subaru WRX STI, and a luxurious Audi Premium Plus.


Justin Gaethje's Most Popular Fights


Justin Gaethje vs Tony Ferguson

Justin Gaethje fought Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 on short notice for the UFC Interim Lightweight Championship. Gaethje outclassed Ferguson in the encounter in terms of striking (143- 136 significant strikes) and winning the fight unanimously on the judges' scorecard before he knocked Ferguson in the fifth round with a punch to the head to become the UFC Interim Champion and ended Ferguson's 12-fight win streak in the UFC.


UFC 249 Ferguson v Gaethje


Justin Gaethje vs Khabib Nurmagomedov

Justin Gaethje and Khabib Nurmagomedov fought at UFC 254 to unify the UFC Lightweight Championship. Gaethje won the first round of the fight on the judges' scorecard but, the momentum would shift in the second round when Nurmagomedov gained ground control. Khabib would make short work of Gaethje and put him in a triangle-choke resulting in Gaethje passing out and losing the fight via technical Submission.


UFC 254: Khabib v Gaethje


Justin Gaethje vs Michael Chandler

Justin Gaethje fought Michael Chandler at UFC 268. The fight started with Gathje hammering in his leg kicks and Chandler looking to rock Gaethje with some heavy strikes. In the first round, Chandler hammered Gaethje with strong punches followed by a flying knee to cause him to wobble. Gaethje countered this by grappling Chandler to halt his aggression and then used his striking prowess to pummel Chandler with some nasty uppercuts before the end of the round.


Justin began to gain the upper hand in the second round as he dropped Chandler with a stiff uppercut. Michael defended well in the grounded position as he got hold of a Gaethje leg and eventually stood back up on his feet after receiving some ground-and-pound punches.


In the third round, Gaethje continued his dominance as he connected with a lot more punches and leg kicks. Chandler was able to takedown Gaethje but, Gathje reversed it and got control of Chandler's back before letting go. In the end, the decision went to the judge's scorecard that was in favor of Justin Gaethje as he won the fight via unanimous decision.


UFC 268: Usman v Covington 2




FAQs On Justin Gaethje

A. Justin Gaethje holds a professional MMA record of 25 wins and 4 losses (25-4).

A. Justin Gaethje is nicknamed "The Highlight".

A. Justin Gaethje is currently ranked #2 in the UFC lightweight rankings.

A. Justin Gaethje's next bout is against Max Holloway at UFC 300.

A. Justin Gaethje beat Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 to win the 'BMF' title.

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