Justin Gaethje Reflects on His Future After Brutal Knockout
A Prolonged Recovery
It may be some time before we see Justin Gaethje back in the octagon. Gaethje defended his BMF title at UFC 300, where he was on the receiving end of one of the most spectacular knockouts in history, delivered by Max Holloway. Not only did he hit the canvas in the dying seconds of the match, but he also suffered a broken nose in the first round and absorbed over 180 significant strikes throughout the five rounds.
Health First
In an interview with MMA Hangout, Gaethje opened up about his path to recovery after the punishing fight against Holloway. “Metaphorically, I could be ready tomorrow, but physically, I need to take care of myself,” Gaethje said. He acknowledged the repeated concussions, “falling asleep like that, when I took that hit… It would be foolish for me to jump back into training before 180 days have passed.”
Staying Active
Gaethje plans to stay active within safe limits. “I can do cardio, I can stay in shape—that’s what I’m going to try to do… The older I get, the harder it is to return to the best shape of my life, so I want to keep active. Obviously, physical contact will be limited for quite a long time because I want to preserve myself… I think it will take at least six months before I can start taking hits again. But that doesn’t mean I won’t train all the time.”
A Potential Title Shot Awaits
Many saw Gaethje as next in line for a lightweight title shot after his victory over Dustin Poirier in July 2023. Now, it’s Poirier who will be fighting for the lightweight title, and Gaethje who will need to take an extended break. However, if Poirier wins the title, Gaethje has a solid argument for a title fight since he and Poirier now have one win each against the other. “It’s a crazy industry,” said Gaethje. “We’ll see how things go for Dustin [and] Makhachev. A crazy industry.”
TRENDING
“Metaphorically, I could be ready tomorrow, but physically, I need to take care of myself,” – Justin Gaethje.
“It would be foolish for me to jump back into training before 180 days have passed.”
“I can do cardio, I can stay in shape—that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
“It’s a crazy industry,” – Justin Gaethje.
