"Absolutely brutal" - Fans concerned as Justin Gaethje shows off gnarly injury a week after UFC 313 

Justin Gaethje's nasty injury at UFC 313 has garnered attention from MMA fans worldwide. Some expressed concern, while others criticized Gaethje for his negligence inside the octagon.

Gaethje returned to the octagon after almost a year against Rafael Fiziev in the co-main event of UFC 313 on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The former BMF champion was initially scheduled to face Dan Hooker. However, Hooker withdrew himself out of the lightweight bout after suffering a hand injury during training.

Both fighters put on a show, and after 25 minutes of intense action, Gaethje was declared the winner via unanimous decision. 'The Highlight' posted a picture of his severely injured toes one week after the fight, which was later reposted by Championship Rounds. While sharing the story, Gaethje wrote:

''They already showed you my feet on television so here they are 1 week after the fight. This is from dragging my feet on the canvas when I throw punches. You do not want to be an ultimate fighter.''

Gaethje's story soon became a talking point among fans, who shared their reactions in the comments section.

One fan wrote:

''That is absolutely brutal''

Another one stated:

''So exactly why you lift your foot and don’t drag it on canvas …Gaethje just different''

Other fans wrote:

''Bad technique lol why is he dragging the top part of his feet''

''He apparently has no clue what it’s like being a laborer every Got Damn day''

Check out more reactions below:

Fan reactions [Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]

Prior to facing Fiziev at UFC 313, Gaethje suffered a devastating knockout loss against Max Holloway at UFC 300, losing his BMF title in the process.

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Jon Anik supports Justin Gaethje's bid for 155-pound belt

Justin Gaethje's victory over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 has put him back in title contention. Many, including UFC CEO Dana White and MMA coach Javier Mendez, have speculated that 'The Highlight' could be next in line to fight reigning champion Islam Makhachev.

In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, UFC commentator Jon Anik discussed Gaethje's chances of getting a title shot, saying:

''[Gaethje] absolutely should fight Islam Makhachev for the title... I think we can all agree there are three options: Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira. The nature of this win for Gaethje and the fact that we haven’t seen that fight, to me promotionally, I would go in that direction.” [H/t: MMA Junkie]

Check out Jon Anik's full comments below: