Justin Gaethje will be the first to remind you that each time he has stepped into the Octagon, he has taken home Fight of the Night honors. His press-forward, blood-and-guts style of combat has earned Gaethje a massive following in the sport of MMA, and his bouts are must-see for the fight fan. However, although his fighting style may be greatly entertaining to most fans, it has not prevented Gaethje for losing back-to-back fights. In fact, some people believe it is the direct cause for the losses. Many have even pleaded with Gaethje to change his fighting style and perhaps lean on his Division I wrestling credentials a bit more when the opportunity presents itself. All in all, these advisors and critics of Gaethje believe that with the right adjustments to his approach to fighting, the sky would be the limit for the former WSOF champion.
In the time since his most recent loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC on FOX 29, Justin Gaethje has been making adjustments, but they have been geared more towards the fighter’s mental approach more so than the game plan itself.
“Really, what I’ve been focused on is not becoming too complacent and not having too much fun out there,” Gaethje told FloCombat. “Right before that knee [against Alvarez], I landed some huge uppercuts and I got too relaxed. In my mind, he was going away and you cannot do that at this level, especially against guys like Eddie Alvarez. Same thing happened with Dustin [Poirier]. I should have learned my lesson, but I get in there and I get too comfortable.
“I need to go in there and I need to be scared at all times. I need to understand that it can happen with one shot and that one shot can happen at any time, especially when I’m fighting guys in the top 10 of the UFC. So just staying focused, staying vigilant in my positions has really been my focus in this camp.”
Justin Gaethje would then respond directly to the criticisms against him and the critics themselves:
“It’s not hard to know you’re not educated on a subject and act as if you know what you’re talking about and speaking facts as if you have a clue,” Gaethje said. “It’s disappointing to know that these are the people that I entertain. I wish I could pick and choose the people that I could bring a little bit of joy with my work but unfortunately, it’s always 50-50.
“It’s disappointing more than anything. As much as I want to say I do it for the fans, I don’t do it for the fans, I do it for myself. I do it for my family. This is just the person that I am. I couldn’t change the way I fight if I wanted to. I can be more vigilant about staying in better positions at all times. I cannot become comfortable and I can’t have fun.
“It needs to be a job to me. It can’t be a complete pleasure for me. I’ve got to go in there and I’ve got to make it a job.”
Do you believe Justin Gaethje should change his fighting style?
