Justin Gaethje is one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC today. ‘The Highlight’ takes the fight to everybody he faces. Win or lose, he has taken a bonus for every performance in the promotion. In sum, Gaethje is a human wrecking ball. Nobody wants to fight him because they know it will be like putting their hand into a blender.
However, Gaethje will attempt to claim the undisputed UFC lightweight title when he faces Khabib Nurmagamedov on October 25. He defeated Tony Ferguson to earn the chance to unite the interim title with the real belt. It’s an exciting match-up and many people believe he has what it takes to beat the indefatigable Khabib.
But new training footage has emerged from Gaethje’s camp. Check out the clip below as the former WSOF Champion ate a huge head kick. We can only hope that this was a freak occurrence because nobody wants him to get hurt before this massive fight.
WATCH:
Justin Gaethje eats a head kick like it’s a 6 inch Subway and then continues to walk his training partner down🤯#UFC @Justin_Gaethje pic.twitter.com/Kph5u3pM2A
— MMA MOMENTS (@MMAMOMENTS1) September 5, 2020
Huge Kick
As you can see from the clip above, Gaethje was doing a few rounds when the kick came. The action wasn’t crazy until Gaethje’s opponent decided to let loose with a ridiculous switch-kick. It snapped Gaethje’s head right back and you can see the training partner freak out because it was overpowered.
But then Gaethje walks forward like a wildman and continues as though nothing had happened. While he fights a lot smarter than before, he has a reputation for absorbing a lot of damage. UFC middleweight Darren Till even said that he thinks Gaethje is slurring his words. But let’s hope he stays fit until he fights Khabib.
Drown
For his part, Khabib vows to do as much damage to Gaethje as possible. He vowed to ‘drown him.’ The Russian’s fighting style is suffocating. In short, he takes his opponents down and traps them against the cage. Then he batters them until they either give up or there is room for a submission. It’s extraordinarily effective.
Furthermore, Khabib is a wounded animal right now. After his father’s tragic passing earlier this year, he wants to honor his memory. Beating Gaethje is the first step to do that. In short, he’s going to do what he has to do and that could be unlucky for Gaethje. Khabib wrote on Instagram:
“I will take him to the deepest ocean and drown him.”
🏆 KHABIB. 🏆 GAETHJE.
For legacy and for gold. pic.twitter.com/VLIHFgHeqQ
— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2020
Early Return
Daniel Cormier told ESPN that Khabib’s return so soon after his father’s death is a form of motivation. Obviously it’s a terrible tragedy, but he believes that Khabib wants to channel that energy and turn it into something positive. It’s a sad time for the Russian but he can honor his father’s memory.
“Yeah, I thought he would be a little bit longer, but the reality is we find motivation in different ways,” Cormier said. “He wants to honor his father through performance. It’s a big thing. I’m happy for him.
“It feels good to know the champ’s coming back, and he’s excited. I’ve been talking to him. The dude’s getting ready. He’s always training.
