According to UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje, he has the ability to knock out the current champion, Islam Makhachev. Gaethje recently defeated Rafael Fiziev in a closely contested match. Managing to evade Fiziev’s dangerous strikes and secure a hard-fought decision victory.
In the final round, Gaethje found his rhythm, using his improved jab to cut and stun Fiziev multiple times. With this win, Justin is now in a great position to challenge for the title. He believes that he has what it takes to defeat Makhachev.
“I think [Islam is] a hard fight for anybody. Just create damage. I’d have to fight the perfect fight,” Gaethje said. “I think I can knock him out. I think I can knock anybody out with the power that I possess.”
According to Justin, although Islam Makhachev is a skilled fighter, he is not at the same level as the former Lightweight king.
“I think they’re very similar,” Gaethje said. “I think the biggest difference is Islam has been finished. He’s lost a fight. He’s been finished. So that aura of invincibility is there, but it’s not based on 100% facts like Khabib has, I think that’s the biggest factor, the biggest difference.”
Justin Gaethje talks about his retirement
Assuming everything goes as planned, Gaethje may only have a few fights left to achieve his dream of becoming a UFC champion. At 34 years old, he is aware that his next shot at the title may be his final opportunity.
Justin defeated Rafael Fiziev by a majority decision at UFC 286 in March. Following the fight, Gaethje stated that he plans to make one more run at the UFC Lightweight Championship, but acknowledged that he won’t be competing for much longer. However, Justin later clarified that he hasn’t considered retiring from the sport.
At present, Gaethje holds the third spot in the UFC lightweight rankings, with Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira ranked above him, both of whom he has lost to. It remains to be seen whether Justin will have the chance to redeem himself against them.
Despite his past failures, do you think the human highlight will succeed in his third title run? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
