Top Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight contender Justin Gaethje will look to end his two-fight skid when he takes on James Vick in the main event of UFC Fight Night 135, which is set to go down inside Pinnacle Bank Arena on August 25, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
And he’ll try to do it against a man he has zero respect for, as “The Highlight” isn’t too fond of Vick’s approach to a fight, spewing unnecessary venom just to get his name out there.
“He talks a lot of shit and I have no respect for him. He’s never fought a Michael Johnson, Eddie Alvarez or a Dustin Poirier. He can call me whatever he wants, but I fought the best of the best my first three fights in UFC,” said Gaethje on a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show. “This is my third of four fights being the main event. When he wants to talk about levels, those are the levels he needs to talk about, and he’s not on my level,” stated Justin.
Vick, though, is currently riding a four-fight win streak, and has won nine of his 10 bouts inside the Octagon, improving after each and every victory. The dangers Vick poses thanks to his well-rounded skill set and tall frame aren’t lost on Gaethje. That said, he still plans to go for the knockout and he won’t be satisfied until “The Texecutioner” is actually seeing stars.
“I’m not invincible, I know I am not, some guys like to go in there with the utmost confidence in themselves and I know that this sport is unforgiving and I can run into a knee, but, I am going to clean his clock,” said Gaethje. “I will not be content if he does not see his feet for at least one minute, after I land a huge right hand on him. I won’t be satisfied unless he’s out cold.”
A fired up Gathje is adamant Vick simply isn’t on his level and says should the Texas native outclass him come fight night, then there’s really no other option but to “hang them up.”
“I’m so much better than James Vick. It sucks to say it, but if I was to go out there and get outclassed by James Vick, I’d have to hang them up. He’s not good, he’s slow,” he added. “I’m talking if I go out and get outclassed. If he outclasses me and beats me in every aspect of this game, then yeah, something is not good.”
Of course, a flash knockout doesn’t count as getting outclassed.
“I’m not saying, I don’t know, you know how this game works and we fly high on emotions . Everything you get from us is coming from a emotional aspect. Like I said, if I was to run into a knee and get knocked out, no that’s not what, if he outclasses me then I would be so disappointed in myself.”
Gaethje was originally booked to face off against top 155 contender Al Iaquinta, but “Ragin’” had to pull out due to some nagging injuries.