'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Justin Gaethje is an action fighter and expects a firefight from the similarly minded Rafael Fiziev. Nevertheless, 'The Highlight' hopes to author a win with fewer battle scars than he did the first time he and Fiziev clashed, which saw Gaethje win via majority decision.
He made his thoughts clear during his UFC 313 Media Day interview, where a media member asked him about the kind of fight he's hoping for and whether he's hoping to avoid a trip to the hospital. Gaethje was more than candid with his response, saying:
"Ideally, any fight, I'd get a knockout in the first 10 seconds. That would be ideal, but I don't plan on goinig to the hospital, I'm just hoping I'm alive and I can walk, so I can golf with my dad and brother the next day. But I mean, I'm here to go to war. Whatever that entails, then so be it."
Trending
Check out Justin Gaethje's hopes for his UFC 313 fight:
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Gaethje's first fight with Fiziev took place two years ago at UFC 286. The pair had a back-and-forth scrap that earned both men Fight of the Night honors. While Gaethje won via majority decision, Fiziev protested the result to an extent, believing some factors justified a closer look at the bout.
He accused Gaethje of avoiding active engagements at certain points. Now, two years later, he will look to score a win over the former interim lightweight champion.
However, Fiziev will be stepping in on short notice, and beating as high-level a fighter as Gaethje with suboptimal preparation is more than a tall order.
There was nothing clean about Justin Gaethje's last fight
It is sensible that Justin Gaethje is not hoping for a repeat of his last fight. A clean win would only serve him well after how his UFC 300 encounter with Max Holloway ended.
After a spinning back-kick shattered his nose, 'The Highlight' was on a losing trajectory, despite being proud of his performance.
Check out Justin Gaethje's loss to Max Holloway:
Unfortunately, he obliged a Holloway challenge in the final 10 seconds, with both men agreeing to trade in the center of the octagon. It ended disastrously for Gaethje, who was on the receiving end of one of the most brutal knockouts of 2024.
