Justin Gaethje has built a career off being an excellent MMA fighter but he’s built a huge fan base by putting on epic fights that almost always result in what can only be described as a blood bath.
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has an altogether different style. He has eased his way past anyone who has stood in front of him and never been in a fight that came close to being considered a war.
This is something Gaethje is very aware of ahead of their UFC 254 lightweight unification fight next month. ‘The Highlight’ is intrigued to see how Nurmagomedov reacts when he is made to bleed inside the Octagon for the first time.
“I know I’m going to see his blood. I want him to see his blood and I want to see his reaction. He isn’t as crazy as me, that’s the thing,” Justin Gaethje said to ESPN. “I think he is crazy and loves competition but he isn’t quite as crazy as me. He also hasn’t seen his blood many times, I’m sure. His style of fighting is not something where you are looking for blood. I bet that doesn’t even cross his mind that he will see his own blood. That has never been a factor for him.” (Transcribed by BJPENN.com)
Gaethje is flying high after picking up the biggest win of his career last time out. The former World Series of Fighting champion dominated long-time number one contender Tony Ferguson before ultimately forcing a fifth round stoppage when they fought at UFC 249 back in May.
Nurmagomedov will be looking to take out a second straight interim champion after making easy work of Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in September 2019. The undefeated Russian picked up a third round submission win in that fight but has been unable to compete since due to the ongoing global pandemic.
Do you think Justin Gaethje will get any reaction if his UFC 254 fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov gets bloody?