Justin Gaethje

A doctor cleared Topuria after the fourth, but his corner halted the bout, unifying the lightweight title for Gaethje.

Key moments

• Gaethje, a heavy underdog, controlled Round 1 with uppercuts, power jabs and right hands.
• Topuria roared back in Round 2, hurting Gaethje to the body and chasing submissions on the canvas.
• Round 3 swung decisively to Gaethje, who knocked down and badly bloodied an exhausted Topuria.
• A doctor checked Topuria before the fifth and cleared him, but his corner stopped the fight after Round 4 — unifying the lightweight title for Gaethje.

A 25-minute striking war for the interim lightweight title. Gaethje out-landed Pimblett, scored two knockdowns and mixed in takedowns to win clearly on all three cards — claiming an interim belt for the second time and lining up a unification bout with Topuria.

Key moments

• Fought for and won the interim lightweight title — Gaethje's second interim belt.
• Scored two knockdowns and landed 144 of 254 significant strikes.
• Went 3-for-3 on takedowns with nearly six minutes of control time.
• Earned Fight of the Night and a title-unification shot at Ilia Topuria.

The rematch, against a Fiziev who took the fight on roughly 12 days' notice. Fiziev started fast, but Gaethje took over the back half — including a second-round knockdown — to sweep all three cards and go 2–0 in the series.

Key moments

• Fiziev stepped in on about 12 days' notice after Dan Hooker withdrew injured.
• Gaethje scored a knockdown in round two, the fight's biggest blow.
• Pulled away over the final two rounds for a clean 29–28 sweep.

Holloway out-boxed him for most of five rounds, then, with the BMF title all but won, pointed to the canvas and invited a final-seconds brawl. Gaethje obliged, and Holloway's overhand right dropped him with one second left.

Key moments

• Holloway controlled most of the fight with faster, more elusive striking.
• In the final ten seconds he pointed to the canvas and waved Gaethje in to trade.
• An overhand right dropped Gaethje face-first with one second left (KO at 4:59 of round five).
• Later named 2024's Knockout of the Year.

A rematch of their 2018 war, and Gaethje needed only one big shot to settle it. Early in the second he hid a right high kick behind a punch; it powered through Poirier's guard, dropped him, and a follow-up sealed the BMF title.

Key moments

• Rematch of their 2018 bout, which Poirier had won by fourth-round TKO.
• A right high kick disguised behind a punch dropped Poirier early in round two.
• Herb Dean waved it off at 1:00 after a follow-up punch closed the show.
• Gaethje became the second-ever BMF champion and avenged the 2018 loss.

A grueling, high-volume striking battle in London. Gaethje out-struck and badly bloodied Fiziev, doing his best work late to edge a razor-thin majority decision in their first meeting.

Key moments

• A back-and-forth striking war that left Fiziev bloodied.
• One judge scored it 28–28, giving Gaethje a 10–8 third round — hence a majority decision.
• Set up the 2025 rematch, which Gaethje also won.

A title fight in Phoenix that turned in a single, chaotic sequence. Gaethje rocked and dropped Oliveira twice in the opening exchanges, only for Oliveira to storm back, land a right hand that wobbled Gaethje, drag him to the canvas, and sink a rear-naked choke for the finish — all inside three and a half minutes.

Key moments

• Gaethje landed early and dropped Oliveira twice in the opening minute, looking like he'd end it fast.
• Oliveira weathered the storm, came back with a right hand that turned the fight, then went for an armbar on the ground.
• Gaethje escaped the armbar but Oliveira immediately took his back and locked in a rear-naked choke.
• The finish at 3:22 of round one handed Gaethje his second consecutive title-fight loss by submission.

A three-round war at Madison Square Garden that many considered the best fight of 2021. Chandler rocked Gaethje in the first and battered him throughout, but Gaethje's relentless low kicks destroyed Chandler's legs and opened cuts all over his face, allowing Gaethje to pull away for a clear unanimous decision.

Key moments

• Chandler badly rocked Gaethje in round one with heavy right hands, nearly finishing him.
• Gaethje's blistering low kicks accumulated damage across all three rounds, badly compromising Chandler's mobility.
• Round two saw Gaethje open up cuts on Chandler's face and take over the fight.
• Both fighters earned Fight of the Night; widely called 2021's Fight of the Year.

A lightweight title unification bout on UFC Fight Island that was shorter than anticipated. Khabib handled Gaethje's striking threat with uncharacteristic confidence on the feet, got a takedown late in round one, then in round two secured a fast takedown, moved to mount, and finished with a triangle choke — before announcing his retirement post-fight.

Key moments

• Gaethje came in as interim champion; the fight was a full lightweight title unification.
• Khabib took Gaethje down late in round one and controlled the rest of the round.
• A lightning-fast takedown to mount in round two ended in a triangle choke at 1:34.

Gaethje claimed the interim lightweight title by systematically dismantling Tony Ferguson over five rounds.

Key moments

• Filled in as a late replacement for Khabib Nurmagomedov, with the interim title on the line.
• Gaethje's low kicks were the central weapon, chewing up Ferguson's lead leg across the fight.
• Ferguson's legs visibly gave out in round five as a Gaethje jab caused him to stumble backward.

Gaethje made it three consecutive first-round finishes with a TKO of Donald Cerrone in Vancouver. He punished Cerrone's lead leg with low kicks from the opening bell, twice floored the veteran with right hands late in the first round, and the referee waved it off after the second knockdown.

Key moments

• Third straight first-round finish for Gaethje, after Barboza and Vick.
• Cerrone's left leg was visibly bruised from Gaethje's early low kicks.
• Two consecutive right hands put Cerrone down late in round one; the second ended the fight.

Gaethje snapped a two-fight losing skid with a crushing first-round knockout in Lincoln, Nebraska. Vick tried to use his height and jab to keep Gaethje at range, but Gaethje walked through the resistance, landed a heavy overhand right that folded Vick, and followed up before the stoppage at 1:27.

Key moments

• First fight back after consecutive losses to Alvarez and Poirier; Gaethje needed a statement win.
• Vick attempted to use his longer reach and front kicks to manage distance.
• A crushing overhand right dropped Vick cold at 1:27 of round one.
• Gaethje celebrated with his trademark backflip on the cage.

A candidate for the best UFC fight of 2018. Gaethje's low kicks were destroying Poirier's lead leg through three rounds — including a point deduction for groin shots — but Poirier caught Gaethje with a straight left early in round four that wobbled him, and the TKO followed 33 seconds in.

Key moments

• Gaethje's low kicks accumulated heavy damage on Poirier's leg over the first three rounds.
• Referee Herb Dean deducted a point from Gaethje for repeated low blow fouls in round three.
• Poirier connected with a left hand early in round four that badly staggered Gaethje.
• The TKO at 0:33 of round four ended what many later voted 2018's Fight of the Year.

The two traded freely for nearly three full rounds — Gaethje's leg kicks doing serious damage — before Alvarez finished with a perfectly timed knee to the face in the final seconds of round three.

Key moments

• Both fighters traded freely from the opening bell in a fight that lived up to its violent billing.
• Gaethje's low kicks battered Alvarez's legs, but Alvarez countered with body shots and hooks.
• A picture-perfect right knee dropped Gaethje at 3:59 of round three, ending the bout.

Gaethje's UFC debut became an instant classic. Johnson rocked him multiple times across two rounds, and each time the crowd expected a finish Gaethje surged back.

Key moments

• Johnson rocked Gaethje badly in round one; he was rocked again early in round two.
• Gaethje rallied both times, landing a flying knee in the final sequence before punches closed it at 4:48 of round two.
• Named 2017 UFC Fight of the Year and cemented Gaethje's reputation for violent, two-way wars.

Gaethje's final WSOF title defense, headlining at Madison Square Garden on New Year's Eve.

Key moments

• Firmino gave him his toughest WSOF challenge, landing heavy shots and threatening with the back mount.
• Firmino's eye sustained damage during the bout that the doctor deemed too severe to continue.
• The doctor's stoppage at the end of round three gave Gaethje the title defense win.

A dominant title defense in which Gaethje used his leg kicks as the primary weapon. He briefly floored Foster with a left hook early on, and when Foster returned to his feet Gaethje targeted the outside of his left knee with repeated kicks until it buckled and the referee intervened.

Key moments

• Gaethje's third WSOF lightweight title defense.
• Briefly knocked Foster down with a left hook in the opening exchanges.
• A series of devastating kicks to Foster's left knee caused it to give way, forcing the TKO at 1:43.
• Gaethje celebrated with his signature post-fight backflip on the cage.

The rematch of their WSOF 19 war, held as the main event in Phoenix. Gaethje and Palomino again traded at a furious pace, but this time Gaethje secured a more decisive second-round TKO finish rather than the grinding third-round stoppage of their first meeting.

Key moments

• Gaethje's third WSOF title defence; Palomino earned the rematch with his strong performance at WSOF 19.
• Another high-volume brawl from the opening bell — neither man stepped back.
• Gaethje ended it more emphatically this time, finishing Palomino in round two at 4:30.
• Reinforced his reputation as WSOF's marquee champion ahead of his UFC move.

A fight named by the Los Angeles Times as the best of 2015 and widely regarded as one of the finest brawls in WSOF history. Gaethje and Palomino traded relentless leg kicks and punches from the first second; Gaethje ultimately wore Palomino down and finished him with a combination of low kicks and punches in round three.

Key moments

• Gaethje's second WSOF lightweight title defense, headlining in Phoenix.
• Both fighters opened simultaneously with leg kicks — the tone was set inside the first seconds.
• Described as one of WSOF's greatest fights; the LA Times named it the best fight of 2015.
• TKO finish at 3:57 of round three set up the rematch at WSOF 23.

Gaethje won the inaugural WSOF Lightweight Championship in emphatic fashion, stopping Patishnock in 69 seconds. He swarmed from the opening bell with a flying knee, staggered Patishnock with a right hook, then landed a hailstorm of uppercuts, knees and standing elbows to force the stoppage.

Key moments

• Gaethje became the first lightweight champion in WSOF history, improving to 11-0.
• Opened with a flying knee on the charge then followed up with right hooks.
• A flurry of uppercuts, knees and elbows forced referee Troy Waugh to step in at 1:09.

A second-round knockout over the experienced Dan Lauzon that earned Gaethje a shot at the inaugural WSOF Lightweight Championship. Gaethje stopped Lauzon with a right uppercut at 1:40 of round two, adding to his string of finishing performances.

Key moments

• Gaethje's third appearance in WSOF; Lauzon was an experienced opponent with a high finishing rate of his own.
• A right uppercut sealed the knockout at 1:40 of the second round.
• The win earned Gaethje the next shot at the inaugural WSOF Lightweight Championship.

Gaethje faced UFC veteran Brian Cobb on the undercard of WSOF 3 in Las Vegas. Cobb was competitive in the early rounds, but Gaethje's accumulating leg kick damage ultimately wore him down and forced the TKO stoppage in the third round.

Key moments

• Gaethje's second WSOF outing, sharing a card with established UFC veterans.
• Cobb controlled portions of the early rounds with takedowns and ground work.
• Gaethje's leg kicks became the defining weapon as the fight progressed, producing the third-round TKO at 2:19.

Gaethje's World Series of Fighting debut against longtime veteran JZ Cavalcante in Atlantic City. There was no feeling-out process — both men swung hard from the start. Gaethje's power punches opened a severe cut over Cavalcante's eye within two minutes; the ringside doctor examined the gash and determined it was too deep to continue, stopping the fight at 2:27.

Key moments

• Gaethje's WSOF debut against a well-travelled veteran who had competed across Pride, Strikeforce and the UFC.
• Both men came out swinging; Gaethje landed a powerful knee in the opening minute.
• A deep cut over Cavalcante's eye opened from Gaethje's striking — photographs showed the gash was severe.

Gaethje's second professional fight, held in Pueblo, Colorado, just six weeks after his debut.

Key moments

• Only his second professional fight — six weeks after his KO debut over Kevin Croom.
• First-round TKO at 4:32 in Pueblo, Colorado under the Bring the Thunder MMA banner.
• Another quick finish consistent with Gaethje's destructive early pattern.

When Croom attempted an armbar, Gaethje used his wrestling base to pick him up and slam him to the canvas in Rampage Jackson fashion — the impact ending the fight at 1:01 of round one.

Key moments

• Croom attempted an armbar; Gaethje countered by picking him up and slamming him to the mat.
• The slam KO at 1:01 of round one showcased his wrestling-to-striking conversion immediately.
• Kevin Croom later became a UFC and Bellator veteran, giving the result retrospective credibility.