Media Justin Gaethje Opens Up About Max Holloway Fight at UFC 300 (With Cliffs).

[Substance Abuse]

Justin Gaethje stopped by the Dan LeBeTard Show's MMA Hangout to answer some questions about his UFC 300 fight with Max Holloway.




Gaethje's Thoughts About Fight Week:

It goes by so fast - training camp two three times a day - and it's regimented. When fight week hits on Tuesday, everything moves even quicker between all the media, weight cuts. Before you know it the fights there, it flies by again and then it's over. It's hard to take in. You're on autopilot for media, the same for the weight cut and then you just try to be perfect for a very small period of time [in the fight].

The Fight Itself:

He was excited to be in there. He feels like it's a momentum thing after catching that kick. Max caught momentum and kept it to the end of the fight. Max was really good. He was surprised by how patient he was and that he couldn't pull him into more of a fight, which threw things off for Justin.

Max's Ability Versus His Perception of Him Before the Fight:

He thought Max would be slower. Great movement which was unexpected. Really fast. Gaethje expected a war and got something different which is a testament to Holloway's Gameplan. He was waiting outside and hoping to catch him coming in, which is what he thought would happen. Instead, he stayed back and was fast on his entries and exits.

About Leg Kicks He Landed on Holloway:

The kicks caused Max to switch stances, possibly change tactics. He thinks in the third or fourth round, when he switched to a [primal] style which would provoke more exchanges, he found more success. What Max did was something that both he and his corner weren't ready for. It was damn good.

His Thoughts on the First Round:

He hasn't watched the whole fight. Before the nose kick, Max caught him with a good uppercut that gave him a good buzz. He got kicked. He realized he was bleeding, and neither of his coaches knew what had happened. They were working their way into the cage, gathering their things. He was feeling the bridge of his nose to see how crooked it was. It was the first nose break he's ever had in a fight. It hurt like hell.

On His Fight Cardio:

Nose break didn't effect his cardio. He felt good in there. They work so hard in camp to be ready cardio wise. Felt that Max being more patient prevented Justin from being tired. Justin felt fresh going into the fifth round. The fight was different than anything he had experienced.

On the Eye Pokes/Fight Awareness:

No excuses. It's a roll of the dice and things happen. The biggest mistake he made was not realizing throughout the camp how much danger he was in fighting Max. It isn't that he didn't give Max respect, it's just that he didn't think he would ever fight Max. It isn't that he didn't want to hurt him. It was just a different lead up to the fight.

On the Infamous Last Ten Seconds:

He wasn't surprised by it. When Max pointed to the center of the cage, Justin thought, "Of Course", and jogged to the middle. It's two guys who are absolute competitors who have been doing it for so long that there was really no other option. There is no way he isn't going to accept that challenge. He felt like he was losing going into that moment so he felt they were both fighting for everything. But you don't think about the scorecards when someone points to the ground. We both want to finish the same way, which is by making a statement and avoiding the scorecards.

There's quite a bit more, but most of the interview which focuses on the fight takes place in the first ten minutes.

 

[Nathan LaMontagne]

Good on Gaethje, no excuses, nothing but respect and honesty.

Such a rarity nowadays (see Jamahal Hill)

Thanks for the Cliffs!

 

[Substance Abuse]

Thanks to @Pancake Sprawl for letting me know this interview even happened, lol.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

i backed Max all the way but it takes 2 to tango and Gaethje delivered for the fans what we wanted, even to the detriment of his career and health. i hope one day he gets the title some how.

 

[kuf]

I like it when fighters give full credit to their opponent instead of presenting events as if they just slipped on a banana peel, props to Gaethje.

 

[BEATDOWNS]

War Justin

War Max

Modern day legends.

 

[baba2008]

Thanks for putting together the cliffs TS. This post was a good read.

 

[Substance Abuse]

Thanks for putting together the cliffs TS. This post was a good read.

 

[Wormwood]

Thanks TS! Props to Gaethje! (and of course Max!)

 

[World eater]

Just what this sport needs, more down to earth, real people who do what they do and accept consequences without lame excuses while showing respect to the opponent. Good for Justin, this is how you do it.

 

[MrJPayne]

Bless this man

 

[13Seconds]

Justin Gaethje stopped by the Dan LeBeTard Show's MMA Hangout to answer some questions about his UFC 300 fight with Max Holloway.




Gaethje's Thoughts About Fight Week:


The Fight Itself:


Max's Ability Versus His Perception of Him Before the Fight:


About Leg Kicks He Landed on Holloway:


His Thoughts on the First Round:


On His Fight Cardio:


On the Eye Pokes/Fight Awareness:


On the Infamous Last Ten Seconds:


There's quite a bit more, but most of the interview which focuses on the fight takes place in the first ten minutes.

Imagine getting your nose broken in the first round of a 5 round fight. And that thing getting smashed in for 4 more rounds. The pain is unimaginable.

How do fighters not cry?

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

Gaethje is a Hall of Famer in my books.

One of the most exciting/entertaining or could very be the most exciting/entertaining fighter of all-time.

 

[Jeandoozz]

was surprised by how patient he was and that he couldn't pull him into more of a fight, which threw things off for Justin. [...] Great movement which was unexpected. Really fast. Gaethje expected a war and got something different which is a testament to Holloway's Gameplan

Well, patience and outside point finding with superior speed was exactly the gameplan that everybody expected from max. What were Justin coaches thinking ?

 

[Chaotic Progressor]

Great performance by Max no doubt. But the eye poke was fkn dirty. I saw it live and on the replay... it's like... he thumb sex'd his eye on purpose, shit pissed me off, especially when it's like... unnecessary, he was doing well anyway.

 

[OldFashion]

Great performance by Max no doubt. But the eye poke was fkn dirty. I saw it live and on the replay... it's like... he thumb sex'd his eye on purpose, shit pissed me off, especially when it's like... unnecessary, he was doing well anyway.

Things happen. I'm giving Max the benefit of the doubt here because he's not exactly known to be an eye poker so I don't think it's fdair to assume he did that on purpose. Also wouldn't fit his character

 

[KoreanZawmbie]

great interview.

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

Respect!, he is being honest and saying he didn't realize how fast Holloway was. The speed difference was big in there, very noticeable.

I'd love to see Gaethje vs Poirier 3, the rubber match, I want to see that fight. They are 1-1 so far and both finished each other. I think we need a final 3rd fight to settle it.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

Should have just said that he dared to be great, like Jamahal did.

 

[Poirierfan]

So the nose break in fact didn't effect his cardio? You hear that Justin fans (or Max haters)? He's not making any excuses so you shouldn't either.