Justin Gaethje

Justin Gaethje holds a 27-5 professional record as an orthodox-stance lightweight known for his aggressive, high-volume striking approach. The 35-year-old averages 6.48 strikes landed per minute with 58% accuracy while absorbing 7.05 strikes per minute, reflecting his willingness to trade in the pocket rather than avoid damage—a hallmark of his "The Highlight" moniker.

His takedown defense sits at a solid 74%, though he attempts takedowns sparingly (0.33 per 15 minutes at 40% accuracy), indicating a pure striker's profile with minimal grappling ambitions. Recent performances show mixed results against elite competition: he earned a dominant first-round knockout of Donald Cerrone in September 2019 and a fifth-round TKO of Tony Ferguson in May 2020, but suffered submission losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov (Round 2, October 2020) and Charles Oliveira (Round 1, May 2022).

More recently, Gaethje has rebounded with consecutive decisions over Rafael Fiziev, including a unanimous verdict in March 2025, demonstrating his ability to pace fights over three rounds. At 6-2 in his last eight outings, Gaethje remains a dangerous lightweight contender capable of finishing opponents but vulnerable to submission-oriented grapplers at the division's highest level.