UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje fights division champ Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 254 on October 24. Gaethje has gone 5-2 in the UFC, winning nine performance bonuses in the process. During his initial year in the big show, Gaethje was overly ready to throw down, and went 1-2, but has settled down some since, and is on a four-fight win streak. And he's fighting a champion who has lost one round in the UFC since his league debut in 2012.
Still, during a UFC 254 con call with media members, Gaethje's confidence was high.
“It’s the biggest fight of my life – absolutely. There’s no doubt about it,” said Gaethje. “I’m not going to let outside influences influence the way I need to think or act or prepare. It’s really just staying true to my belief, which is be better than yesterday, make better choices than yesterday. I’ve been doing that for eight weeks, and I’ve got three and a half more. I’ll be ready as I possibly can be.”
“My confidence is probably my biggest factor right now, paired with the power that I possess, paired with the coach that I have. That’s a dangerous combination. I don’t care if I win or lose, at the end of the day, as long as I make my family happy, as long as I’m proud of my performance, then it doesn’t matter. That’s what makes me most dangerous. I don’t know if he’s ever fought someone like that – he probably has.
“And another factor is a lot of hard work, a lot of skill and a little bit of luck in this game. Anybody can go to sleep. He’s a fool if he doesn’t think he can go to sleep.”
This is the same hype we always get for Khabib's next opponent. And it always ends the same way.
I love dominant champs because it makes it all the more fun to root for the guy trying to topple them, but in this case I want to see Khabib get to 30-0.
Of course he’d rather win, and he will do his utmost to win. But watch his immediate interviews post loss against Alvarez and Poirier. He felt no shame at his performances and his mindset was spot on.
With another guy we might say “BS” but the way he has always fought and conducted himself, his words ring 100% true.
Of course he’d rather win, and he will do his utmost to win. But watch his immediate interviews post loss against Alvarez and Poirier. He felt no shame at his performances and his mindset was spot on.
With another guy we might say “BS” but the way he has always fought and conducted himself, his words ring 100% true.
Not caring if you win or lose is something you'd say if you dont think you're going to win.
Yeah. I didn't read the article or watched the vid and there is probably some context to that but going off that quote alone, this is not the right mindset to beat Khabib at all. I am truly dumbfounded by all the people saying that this is Khabib's toughest test date or if anybody can beat Khabib it's Gaethje, let alone Gaethje smeshes him etc, but oh well, it happens every Khabib fight..
Not caring about beating the best fighter in the world sounds like he’s accepted the role of valiant loser. He’s even talking like he’s only got a puncher’s chance.
I Like gaethje but the guy lost to alvarez and porier
Hes not beating Khabib
Mma math doesn’t work. Khabib takes people down. If he can’t take justin down we may have a fight on our hands. Poirer couldn’t keep it standing and lost. But, Dustin is better on the feet than justin. If justin beats khabib I bet Conor knocks his block off. But Conor loses to khabib 9/10 imo.
I Like gaethje but the guy lost to alvarez and porier
Hes not beating Khabib
Mma math doesn’t work. Khabib takes people down. If he can’t take justin down we may have a fight on our hands. Poirer couldn’t keep it standing and lost. But, Dustin is better on the feet than justin. If justin beats khabib I bet Conor knocks his block off. But Conor loses to khabib 9/10 imo.
I agree with a lot of this. The Justin we saw in the Ferg fight was brilliant. His striking looked so sharp. It presents a problem for Khabib and he’s going to have to punch his way in to grab ahold of him. If Justin can stop that from happening, it’ll force Khabib to take more chances and walk through the striking minefield and that could go wrong for him.
Or Khabib will bully him into the fence, chain TDs and it’ll look like all of his other fights
Yeah, me either. I want to see the the fight, but I honestly couldn’t give a shit who wins. I just hope it’s a good fight. It’s like Monday night football to me when your team isn’t playing. Neither guy particularly appeals to me normally plus they’re both managed by that shithead Ali so whatever.
I Like gaethje but the guy lost to alvarez and porier
Hes not beating Khabib
Mma math doesn’t work. Khabib takes people down. If he can’t take justin down we may have a fight on our hands. Poirer couldn’t keep it standing and lost. But, Dustin is better on the feet than justin. If justin beats khabib I bet Conor knocks his block off. But Conor loses to khabib 9/10 imo.
Add in the Justin beat down of Ferguson and we're doing MMA common core