In the main event of UFC 324, Justin Gaethje will step into the Octagon looking to win lightweight gold for a second time when he takes on England’s favorite fighter, Paddy Pimblett. And to the dismay of fight fans, if he loses, it could be the last time he competes in a cage.
Heading into the bout, Gaethje and his team have suggested that if he comes up short, it likely will be the last fight of his career. Whether he wins or loses at UFC 324, let’s take a look at the defining moments that helped to turn Justin Gaethje into one of the most beloved fighters of his era and a UFC legend.
Emphatic KO win in UFC debut
For the diehard fight fans who remember World Series of Fighting before it rebranded into the Professional Fighters League, Gaethje was one of their must-see talents. That is why when he made the move to the UFC as the former WSOF lightweight king, it was a notable story in 2017. And “The Highlight” received a serious test in his company debut against Ultimate Fighter Season 12 finalist Michael Johnson.
Over two entertaining Rounds, Gaethje proved he was a UFC-caliber fighter when he scored a nasty knockout win over Johnson in his Octagon debut. Setting the stage for many more big KOs to come.
Going to War with Eddie Alvarez
Due to his impressive 17-0 record and an outstanding debut, the UFC pushed Gaethje further into the deep end of the lightweight division when he was matched up with former Bellator and UFC 155-pound champ Eddie Alvarez. The pair of division greats tour into each other over three violent rounds, where both seemed on the verge of a win at different points.
In the end, Alvarez handed Gaethje his first career loss by knockout. However, in defeat, Gaethje went out on his shield and became a must-see fighter not just at lightweight, but in the entire company.
Growing a warrior reputation in defeat against Dustin Poirier
In the follow-up to his war with Alvarez, Gaethje had another epic battle in 2018, this time with another star of the weight class, Dustin Poirier. Since it was a main event fight, this one went into the fourth round. However, not by much.
After beating the heck out of each other for 15 minutes, “Diamond’s” more technical boxing started to wear on Gaethje, and his body succumbed to the beating early in the fourth. While it was another loss and a second straight, the former WSOF star added millions more to his fanbase on that night.
Crushing Edson Barboza in Philadelphia
After his losses to Alvarez and Poirier, Gaethje roared back with a first-round destruction of James Vick in the summer of 2018. The win earned him another main event clash, this time with dangerous Brazilian striker Edson Barboza.
During that fight in March of 2019 in Philadelphia, Gaethje’s pressure and chin proved to be a problem for Barboza, and he could not stop the wave of offense coming at him. After trying to keep his distance for a couple of minutes, the American eventually found the right range and landed a thunderous shot that flattened Barboza. Earning him a second straight first-round knockout.
Blasting through a ‘Cowboy’ in Canada
In September of 2019, Justin Gaethje was matched up with another fan-favorite striker in Donald Cerrone. Once again, he needed less than a round to score another highlight reel finish. This time, he used his thunderous kicks to set up some big hooks that dropped “Cowboy” and led to the technical knockout finish.
A third straight first-round KO would land Gaethje his first chance at UFC gold in his next fight.
Winning UFC gold with a classic performance at UFC 249
In May of 2020, Justin Gaethje got his first crack at UFC gold when he faced Tony Ferguson, when “El Cucuy” was one of the scariest fighters in the company. However, instead of using the brawling and chin-first style that earned him a title opportunity, the Arizona native put together, arguably, the most well-rounded and skillful performance of his career.
Over five rounds, he picked the uber-durable Ferguson apart. Eventually, Ferguson’s body couldn’t take anymore and he was finished by TKO in Round 5. It was a moment where Gaethje made a case to be called the best lightweight fighter in the world.
Another ‘Fight of the Year’ against Michael Chandler
After losing in a unification bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov, Gaethje fought for the first time in Madison Square Garden at UFC 268 when he faced Michael Chandler. Most MMA pundits assumed the matchup could end up being a Fight of the Year contender. Well, it delivered on the hype and stole the show in New York.
While Gaethje was on the wrong end of some Fight of the Year winners/contenders in the past, this time, he was able to overcome the explosiveness and toughness of Chandler to get a well-earned unanimous decision win.
Revenge against Dustin Poirier
Outside of his interim title win in 2020, the next major victory of Gaethje’s career is likely his 2023 rematch with fellow former interim champion Poirier. And just like the first fight, the pair were putting together another classic early in the second round.
However, unlike the previous battle, the fight wouldn’t go much further after Gaethje landed a big head kick that rocked his foe a minute into the round. “The Highlight” is a UFC legend because he doesn’t let opponents off the hook when they are in trouble. That was the case at UFC 291 as Gaethje scored sweet revenge with a TKO win.
