Justin Gaethje Biography
Justin Gaethje Biography – Justin Ray Gaethje (born November 14, 1988) is a professional mixed martial artist from the United States. He is presently a member of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Lightweight division (UFC).
He is a former UFC Lightweight Interim Champion. He is ranked #15 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings as of August 9, 2021, and #2 in the UFC lightweight rankings as of January 25, 2021.
| Name | Justin Gaethje |
| Date of Birth | November 14, 1988 |
| Age | 33 years |
| Nationality | American |
| Net worth | $2 million |
| Profession/Occupation | UFC Fighter |
| Gender | Male |
Justin Gaethje Background
Justin Gaethje Background – Justin Ray Gaethje was born in Safford, Arizona, on November 14, 1988. Carolina (née Espinoza), his mother, is of Mexican heritage from Sonora, Mexico, and John Ray Gaethje, his father, is German.
Justin Gaethje Education
Justin Gaethje Education – Gaethje claims to have started wrestling at the age of four. As a wrestler at Safford High School, he was a two-time Arizona state champion and an NCAA Division I All-American at the University of Northern Colorado.
Justin Gaethje Career
Justin Gaethje Career – He began his amateur MMA career while still in college, became pro in 2011, and joined the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) in 2013, where he earned the Lightweight Champion. Before joining the UFC in 2017, he defended his WSOF title five times.
Gaethje is the eldest of two sisters. Marcus John Gaethje, his twin brother, worked at the Morenci mine for almost ten years.
Despite his wrestling background, Gaethje is noted for his aggressive stand-up fighting style and rarely looks for takedowns. In his eight fights in the UFC, he has won 19 of his 22 matches by knockout or technical knockout, earning him five Fight of the Night and four Performance of the Night accolades.
He was a four-time state finalist and two-time state winner at Safford High School (AIA). As a wrestler, he still has the seventh-most near falls (218) and the ninth-most team points earned (1057.5) in the state’s history. In high school, Gaethje also participated in football and baseball.
Gaethje had a 191-9 record as a senior at Safford High School. He applied to a tiny college in Arizona to stay close to his family, but instead accepted an offer from the University of Northern Colorado’s NCAA Division I program.
When Gaethje was a freshman at the University of Northern Colorado, he wrestled Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) stars including Georges St-Pierre, Clay Guida, and future opponent Donald Cerrone. After that, he told his coaches about his desire to try out the new sport, and they told him that he needed to improve his grades in order to acquire an amateur bout.
Gaethje made his amateur debut on August 2, 2008, during the pre-season of his sophomore year (08′-09′), where he knocked out his opponent with a slam knockout.
Gaethje made his professional debut on August 20, 2011, against future UFC fighter Kevin Croom, after a 7–0 amateur record. After Croom tried a submission, Gaethje won the fight via KO in the first round.
Gaethje signed with the World Series of Fighting on December 2, 2012, and made his debut against Gesias Cavalcante at WSOF 2 on March 23, 2013, winning by TKO (doctor stoppage) in the first round after opening a gash above Cavalcante’s left eye.
On June 14, 2013, he faced Brian Cobb at WSOF 3 and won by TKO in the third round from leg kicks.
Following that, Gaethje fought Dan Lauzon at WSOF 6 on October 26, 2013, knocking Lauzon out in the second round with a right uppercut.
Gaethje earned a shot at the inaugural WSOF Lightweight Championship in the headline battle of WSOF 8 on January 18, 2014, when he faced Richard Patishnock. Gaethje defeated Patishnock by TKO in the first round to win the WSOF Lightweight Championship.
On July 5, 2014, he made his first championship defense against Nick Newell at WSOF 11. Gaethje won the bout by TKO in the second round with a right hook.
Gaethje declared on May 4, 2017 that he had vacated his WSOF championship and has signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
On May 12, it was announced that he would make his Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale debut on July 7 against veteran Michael Johnson. Gaethje used a combination of punches and knees to win the back-and-forth bout via TKO in the second round. Gaethje won the Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night trophies for his victory. This fight was named the best bout of 2017, and round 2 of the fight was named the best round of the year by Sherdog.
On October 24, 2020, Gaethje fought Khabib Nurmagomedov in a unification match for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 254. He lost the fight through technical submission in the second round due to a triangle choke, marking his first submission loss in mixed martial arts. Despite Gaethje losing consciousness due to the choke, referee Jason Herzog did not stop the fight.
On November 6, 2021, Gaethje will meet former Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler at UFC 268.
Justin Gaethje Net worth
Justin Gaethje Net worth – Justin Gaethje has an estimated net worth of $2 million. He is a professional mixed martial artist from the United States. He is presently a member of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Lightweight division (UFC).
