UFC 254: A timeline in the career of Justin Gaethje
By Ben Coate
Justin Gaethje’s path his UFC 254 title shot.
At UFC 254, Justin Gaethje will compete in the most important fight of his career. Gaethje’s path to the UFC lightweight title shot against the reigning champion Khabib Nurmagomedov took nine years, 24 fights, multiple championship belts, five Fight of the Night awards, and countless “holy crap!” moments.
Here’s how Gaethje, currently the UFC interim lightweight champion, worked his way to the main event of UFC 254.
A timeline in the career of Justin Gaethje, who faces Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 254
Regional success (2011-2013)
With his background in collegiate wrestling (including an All-American finish in 2010), it’s no surprise that Gaethje immediately found success in MMA. Gaethje made his professional debut in August 2011, defeating recent UFC signee Kevin Croom via slam knockout in just 61 seconds. The spectacular finish was a harbinger of things to come, as Gaethje would soon be known as one of the most exciting action fighters on the planet.
Over the next 15 months, Gaethje reeled off six more wins while fighting in Arizona and Colorado. Most notably, in just his sixth pro fight, Gaethje defeated UFC veteran Drew Fickett via 12-second knockout. Much more than just a wrestler, Gaethje had proved himself as a star in the making.
Making a name in WSOF (2013-2017)
On the strength of his 7-0 record, Gaethje signed with the fledgling World Series of Fighting (now the Professional Fighters League) in 2013. He didn’t lose an ounce of momentum in the new organization, finishing Dream and Strikeforce veteran Gesias Cavalcante in his promotional debut. Gaethje would win twice more, both by stoppage, before earning the vacant WSOF lightweight title with a first-round stoppage victory over Robert Patinshnock.
Gaethje’s WSOF title reign would last three years and include five successful title defenses. This stretch of fights established Gaethje as a reliable action fighter with a knack for the brutal finish, including a first-round stoppage via leg kicks over Brian Foster. Gaethje’s back-to-back wars with Luis Palomino in 2015 remain two of the wildest, most action-packed bouts in all of Gaethje’s career.
Making a splash in the UFC (2017-2018)
By 2017, Gaethje was 17-0 and must-see television. With hardcore fans clamoring to see Gaethje in the UFC, the promotion signed him and immediately thrust him into elite lightweight competition in a main event spot against Michael Johnson. The fight was a typical Gaethje affair: a high-octane war that saw both men hurt badly before Gaethje earned the stoppage late in the second round. The bout was widely considered one of the best of 2017 and served as a fitting introduction of the sport’s most exciting fighter to UFC fans.
Gaethje would lose his next two UFC bouts to Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, respectively. But even in defeat, Gaethje earned Fight of the Night honors, and both bouts were considered Fight of the Year contenders.
UFC title run (2018-2020)
Just four months after losing an epic clash with Poirier, Gathje returned to his winning ways with an 87-second knockout of the woefully over-matched James Vick. Seven months later, Gaethje needed just two and a half minutes to starch longtime elite lightweight Edson Barboza. Six months after that, Gaethje displayed a patient and refined power kickboxing game to finish former title challenger Donald Cerrone in the first round, capping a three-fight first-round knockout run that led to an interim lightweight title shot against Tony Ferguson.
In what was the biggest fight of his career up to that point, Gaethje out-struck Ferguson for nearly 24 minutes, finishing him late in the fifth round, snapping Ferguson’s 12-fight win streak. With the win, Gaethje not only established himself as the clear-cut top contender for Nurmagomedov’s title, but also showcased a more controlled, slower-paced (but still wildly exciting) approach to fighting that leads many to believe he will be the champion’s stiffest test to date.
Next. Predicting the champion of each division at the end of 2020. dark