Justin Gaethje will return to the Octagon later tonight (Sat., Mar. 30, 2019) at UFC on ESPN 2 from inside Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and try to forge his first UFC win streak when he takes on lightweight striking guru Edson Barboza.
In what should be considered one of the most entertaining matchups the 155-pound division has to offer, Gaethje will have to get past Barboza’s legendary kick game to escape with his second-straight Octagon win. Should he do that, “Highlight” will put himself right back in position to contend for a title later this year.
In preparation for Gaethje’s return to action, UFC has released his latest Octagon finish in a meeting with James Vick back at UFC Fight Night 135 this past August (shown in the above video player). In just 87 seconds, Gaethje was able to land a herculean right hand that put Vick out for good. It was the first fight of Gaethje’s brief UFC career that he actually took his time to line up shots and avoid unnecessary exchanges. His patience clearly paid off.
Should Gaethje maintain the same amount of focus entering his matchup with Barboza this weekend in Philadelphia, “Junior” is going to have a tough time lasting all five rounds. That said, Barboza is always one kick away from instant victory, so Gaethje better play things right or he’ll find himself on the end of his third knockout loss in UFC competition.
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