Morning Report: Justin Gaethje names two fights he wants back because he was ‘compromised’

Gaethje, renowned for his exhilarating fighting style and a record adorned with numerous performance bonuses, has faced a veritable "who’s who" of elite lightweights and beyond. His professional ledger includes clashes with former champions and top contenders such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson, Donald Cerrone, Edson Barboza, Charles Oliveira, and Max Holloway. It is the encounters with Oliveira and Holloway that resonate most deeply with Gaethje, prompting his call for rematches as he approaches what could be the concluding chapter of a decorated career.

In an interview with ESPN MMA, Gaethje articulated the specific reasons behind his eagerness to re-engage with both Oliveira and Holloway. He stated, "Honestly, the winner of the BMF belt because those two guys, and it sucks to make excuses, but those are the only two guys that have ever got me not at my best, for two different reasons." This candid admission underscores Gaethje’s commitment to self-assessment and his belief that a fully optimized version of himself would yield different outcomes.

The first of these contested performances was his title challenge against then-lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 274 in May 2022. Gaethje revealed that he was involved in a severe bicycle accident just 18 days prior to the high-stakes main event. Describing it as "a vicious crash" where he "smoked my head off the road," Gaethje conceded that he was physically "compromised walking into that fight." Despite the severity of the incident, Gaethje pushed through, taking the fight to Oliveira. However, the contest concluded in the first round with Gaethje submitting to a rear-naked choke. The fight itself was shrouded in controversy as Oliveira missed weight for the contest, leading to him being stripped of his title prior to stepping into the cage, leaving the championship vacant regardless of the outcome. Gaethje’s assertion suggests that the physical toll of the accident significantly hampered his ability to perform at his peak against one of the division’s most dangerous grapplers.

The second encounter Gaethje seeks to rectify is his "BMF" championship bout against Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April 2024. Unlike the Oliveira fight, Gaethje did not contend with physical ailments leading into the Holloway clash. Instead, his struggles were mental, a "mindset thing" that he believes fundamentally altered his approach. Holloway, a legendary featherweight champion making a foray into the lightweight division, delivered a performance that resulted in an all-time classic. The fight, a back-and-forth war, culminated in the final seconds of the fifth round when Holloway landed a devastating knockout blow, leaving Gaethje face-down on the canvas after a reckless, crowd-pleasing exchange.

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Gaethje elaborated on his mental state during the Holloway fight, explaining that the immense hype and fan-friendly nature of the "BMF" prize led him astray. "I think the biggest mistake for me was looking at it as a spectacle fight or a fight that was for fun and not understanding or recognizing the danger that I was in," Gaethje reflected. His reputation for earning "Fight of the Night" awards—a staggering seven prior to this bout—may have inadvertently influenced his strategy. He admitted, "So I didn’t get to go to my primal, competitive nature. That was a scary night. When you go to a primal place, you’re not there, you’re not retaining information. I remember his face, I’ve never seen an opponent’s face." He concluded, "So that was a big mistake for me and it happens in the preparation. There was a lot of mistakes made in my mind and I had the wrong mindset going into that fight and it was a huge mistake and that’s why I want to fight him again."

Despite the dramatic knockout loss to Holloway, Gaethje’s performance once again earned him "Fight of the Night" honors, marking his ninth such award in the UFC, a testament to his consistently entertaining style. This enduring popularity and his reputation for delivering thrilling contests are likely factors in the UFC’s decision to place him in an interim lightweight championship bout against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324, marking the organization’s inaugural event of 2026 and its first under a newly signed, multi-billion dollar partnership with Paramount.

The decision to grant Gaethje and Pimblett the interim title shot has been a point of discussion within the mixed martial arts community, particularly given the strong contention of fighters like Arman Tsarukyan, who many believe is equally deserving. However, Gaethje views this opportunity as a vote of confidence from the promotion. "It just shows that the UFC trusts me to put me in these positions," Gaethje asserted, also highlighting his reliability. "Arman’s not here for a reason. I’ve never pulled out from a fight. I should knock on wood because, you know, but I feel great right now. The weight cut sucks, there’s no way around that, but I have a great team around me."

As the 37-year-old Gaethje prepares to face Pimblett, who holds a professional record of 20-3 and has rapidly ascended in popularity, "The Highlight" appears to be in peak physical and mental condition. His approach to the upcoming bout emphasizes meticulous preparation rather than in-cage improvisation. "It has not been difficult at all because ultimately I’m never thinking in there," Gaethje explained. "It’s preparations, it’s how I prepare for these fights. My sparring partners know that’s how I fight. I don’t have the intentions to hurt somebody when I’m sparring in practice and then I get to flip that switch when it comes to fighting. But I’ve always trained the same."

Gaethje’s strategy for Pimblett, much like his previous dominant performances against opponents such as Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler, revolves around a relentless pace designed to wear down his adversary. "Ultimately, it’s all cardio. I’m trying to get them tired. When they’re tired, I can do anything I want to them, so that’s ultimately where I’m trying to get this fight. That’s where I got the Fiziev fight, the Chandler fight, and fortunately for them it was a three-round fight because if it was a five-round fight then I would have hurt them badly." His intent for Pimblett is clear and forceful: "I really want to get this kid specifically to those rounds and I specifically want to hurt this kid badly." Gaethje concluded by outlining his mental preparation for the challenge: "I’ve been telling myself he’s going to hurt me so that I can go to the most primal place that I can and when I go to that place, I’m one of the most dangerous in the world."

The desire for rematches with Oliveira and Holloway looms large in Gaethje’s future considerations, particularly as Holloway and Oliveira themselves are slated to meet in a rematch for Holloway’s "BMF" championship at UFC 326 on March 7. However, the immediate focus for Justin Gaethje remains firmly on Paddy Pimblett and the interim lightweight title at UFC 324, a victory that would not only add another prestigious belt to his collection but also solidify his standing for potential future championship challenges and, perhaps, the redemptive bouts he so eagerly seeks.

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