Ahead of his WSOF lightweight title defense Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje opens up about his entry into MMA, thoughts on his opponent, and whether or not to remain with the WSOF promotion.
At 15-0, World Series of Fighting lightweight champion Justin Gaethje opens up about his serendipitous entry into MMA and about his upcoming title fight against tournament winner Brian Foster.
Eddie Mercado: You are the World Series of Fighting lightweight champion. Why MMA?
Justin Gaethje: I’m not sure. I started wrestling at 4 years old. It was never a dream of mine but I knew I always wanted to compete in something. When I was wrestling in college I took 7 amateur fights without ever being in a street fight, without sparring, without even training MMA. I won those and then decided to find a gym and turn pro and haven’t lost yet. Now I’m making good money and I love it!
EM: It sounds like MMA happened to you.
JG: Pretty much. I’ve put the hard work in though and have learned many lessons. I’m undefeated as a fighter but I’ve lost in wrestling matches. I lost matches I should have won and won matches I should have lost. I learned a bunch about weight cutting and the importance of a certain mindset from wrestling so I’ve been getting ready for this my whole life. I have a twin brother that I’ve been wrestling with since birth so it’s in my blood and I feel like it’s the path I’m supposed to be on.
EM: Does your twin brother fight or train?
JG: Nope, he lives in the small town we are from and works in the copper mine.
EM: Is the copper mine where you would have gone if not for MMA?
JG: I would have gone the social worker route. I have a degree in Human Services and my goal was to work with at risk youth.
EM: You were a Div I All American wrestler in college; however, your fighting style does not exactly reflect those credentials. Why do you choose to knuck with everybody?
JG: I use my wrestling in reverse to just keep the fight right where I want it. So far, I feel like I’ve had the advantage on the feet in every fight. Wrestling is grueling and blows through the human energy levels. I have to fight for 25 minutes and I don’t do anything at half speed. I could be 15-0 with all decision wins but I would not be on this stage or getting paid what I am right now. I don’t want to have to tell people how good I am; I want to show them. I train for 25 minutes but don’t want to fight for 25 minutes.
EM: With your fighting style comes the cost of getting hit and taking damage. Do you ever worry about the long-term ramifications and consequences associated with sustaining head trauma?
JG: I don’t. I really hope I don’t have to do this for very long but I want to fight the best. Plain and simple, this is fighting. If you’re fighting at this level then you’re going to get hit. I try not to get hit while being at the end of their punches. I try to take it on the forehead and meet them half way to cut off the power. If you are going to get hit then that’s the way to do it.
EM: What are your long-term MMA goals?
JG: I want to fight the best fighters in the world but I don’t lose sight of the fact that six years ago I had no dream and no clue that I would be here. I’m just grateful for where I’m at and can’t deny that it’s a little bit of luck that got me here. One punch here one punch there; when you’re successful you got to contribute it to a bit of luck.
EM: You’re already the WSOF lightweight champion. What else is there to accomplish inside of that promotion?
JG: I don’t think I’ll jump around weight classes or anything. I have a job to do and that is to prove I’m the best 155er on the planet. I love the WSOF and have three fights left on my contract. After those fights, I want to go out there and see what I’m worth. Miesha Tate just got 46k to show and 46k to win; I’m getting paid 60k to show and 60k to win in my next fight and will be at 80/80 by then end of my contract. I owe it to myself to not sell myself short by taking a pay cut just to go to another organization.
EM: If you do go to the UFC or Bellator where do you see yourself as far as the top 10?
JG: With the amount of money I want to get paid, they will have no choice but to throw me to the wolves and I’m definitely ok with that.
EM: Is there a particular fight you look forward to?
JG: Out of respect, I would like to fight Eddie Alvarez, Diego Sanchez, and Jim Miller. Those guys are so good and are great fights for me. Of course I want a shot at the champion Rafael dos Anjos but when I get over there I want the guys at the top.
EM: Right now on your plate is the lightweight tournament winner Brian Foster. What are your thoughts on him and his tournament performance?
JG: I feel like he deserves the title shot and is the most worthy. He has fought some of the best fighters in the world and beat some of those guys so he’s the man. He’s aggressive and has a mean right hand. I’ve been waiting for someone to match my tenacity and Foster is that guy. He did get submitted in the first round but came back to knock out that same guy later in the tourney. What better redemption?
EM: Do you have a specific strategy to beat Brian Foster?
JG: Nope, I focus on myself and my skills. With Trevor Whittman at Grudge Training Center we’ve been working a lot of footwork and head movement.
EM: Have you ever considered hiring a movement coach like Conor McGregor?
JG: No, I think that’s stupid. It’s basically self awareness. I can’t see without my glasses anyway so all I do is feel.
EM: What has your diet been like for this fight?
JG: A lot of sushi and a lot of steak!
EM: How much weight are you cutting for this?
JG: About 10 pounds since I’ve learned my lesson about cutting weight. I was an All American at 157 for my junior year and then for my senior year got into the mindset that I could cut down to 149 and be bigger, faster, and stronger. I beat this kid 20-3 before the intense cut and then the next time I faced the same kid I lost 7-2 due to cutting too much weight. So not cutting too much is the way to do it.
EM: Do you have a prediction for this fight?
JG: No, I don’t like to predict. I’m going to push the pace and deliver big punches. I’m going to finish him and that’s all I know.
EM: With a win over Brian Foster, what would be next?
JG: Maybe Jason High after his impressive KO win in his debut.
EM: With a loss, what would be next?
JG: Brian Foster again for sure.
EM: I saw you do a back flip off of the cage; exactly what is wrong with you?
JG: I’ve been doing it my whole life man. My mom used to get so pissed at me because I would be doing it off of everything. One time I did it at a bake sale for this church and the counter broke as I jumped which caused me to land right on my head. Needless to say they weren’t too happy.
Check out the World Series of Fighting 29 on MSNBC on March 12, 2016 to see if Justin Gaethje can defend his lightweight title against tournament winner Brian Foster.