Justin Gaethje stands out as one of the most versatile and brutal strikers in the UFC lightweight division. In his illustrious career, he collided with many tough souls but one opponent he found the most challenging is none other than the retired fighter and the former UFC lightweight champion: Khabib Nurmagomedov. Quite interestingly, the emotions are somewhat reciprocal. Khabib may or may not mark Justin Gaethje as the toughest opponent he faced but he did give him credit for the hardest strike he ever received in his career.
Both fighters faced each other in 2020, where Nurmagomedov rose victoriously via a solid triangular choke. However, Gaethje won the first round quite comfortably after landing a few nasty shots that forced the dagestani fighter to switch to grappling.
Khabib'in kariyerinde karşılaştığı en sert vuran isim Justin Gaethje'di.
— M (@kadik74m) September 16, 2024
Justin'den vuruş alan dövüşçüler, geriye adımlar veya mesafe kontrolü yapardı.
Khabib ise bunların hiçbirini yapmadı, sürekli üstüne gitti ve Justin'i bitirdi. pic.twitter.com/a7jlYUG008
Justin Gaethje on his Toughest Fight
The top lightweight contender recently took the time to reveal the toughest opponent he faced.
“I think Khabib was probably the one who I felt. Even if I performed better, I am not sure I could have beat him on that night specifically. So, that night that I fought Khabib, I would say he was my toughest opponent till date”.
Justin Gaethje’s Dream Match
Gaethje looks forward to locking horns with the current UFC lightweight champion.
“I wanna fight Makhachev, he’s a champ and I do believe there’s a better match up for me than Khabib”.