Lightweight · “The Highlight”
Justin Gaethje
28-5-0 UFC 11-5-0
5'11"Height
70"Reach
OrthodoxStance
1988-11-14Born
7KO wins
0Sub wins
63.6%Finish rate
12:38Avg fight
Statistical profile
The shape of their game.
Percentile scores against UFC veterans — volume-aware, and honest about small samples. The rim is reserved for true specialists.
Radar — percentile vs UFC veterans
Career rates
Sig. strikes landed / min6.29
Sig. strikes absorbed / min6.83
Striking accuracy57.6%
Striking defense50.7%
Takedowns / 15 min0.3
Takedown accuracy26.7%
Takedown defense73.3%
Sub attempts / 15 min0.0
Control time6.6%
Record vs .500+ opponents10-5
Striking trend
Output, fight by fight.
Significant strikes landed per minute over the last 8 fights — green dots are wins, red are losses.
Fight history
Every walk to the cage.
16 UFC bouts, newest first. Tap a fight for the full stat line — opponent records are shown as of fight night.
W Ilia Topuria 9-0 walk-in TITLE KO/TKO · R4 5:00 — UFC Freedom 250 · 2026-06-14
91/192Sig. strikes
97/162Absorbed
0/5Takedowns
1:32Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Paddy Pimblett 7-0 walk-in TITLE Decision - Unanimous · R5 5:00 — UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett · 2026-01-24
144/254Sig. strikes
156/311Absorbed
3/3Takedowns
5:55Control
2Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Rafael Fiziev 6-3 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev · 2025-03-08
72/134Sig. strikes
68/119Absorbed
0/3Takedowns
1:32Control
1Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Max Holloway 21-7 walk-in KO/TKO · R5 4:59 — UFC 300: Pereira vs. Hill · 2024-04-13
103/199Sig. strikes
181/309Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:00Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Dustin Poirier 21-6 walk-in KO/TKO · R2 1:00 — UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 · 2023-07-29
41/66Sig. strikes
27/52Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:01Control
1Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Rafael Fiziev 6-1 walk-in Decision - Majority · R3 5:00 — UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3 · 2023-03-18
103/171Sig. strikes
97/169Absorbed
1/3Takedowns
0:05Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Charles Oliveira 20-8 walk-in Submission · R1 3:22 — UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje · 2022-05-07
21/33Sig. strikes
30/47Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:13Control
1Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Michael Chandler 1-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 · 2021-11-06
116/183Sig. strikes
103/245Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
1:37Control
1Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Khabib Nurmagomedov 12-0 walk-in TITLE Submission · R2 1:34 — UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje · 2020-10-24
29/45Sig. strikes
26/80Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:14Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Tony Ferguson 15-1 walk-in TITLE KO/TKO · R5 3:39 — UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje · 2020-05-09
143/197Sig. strikes
136/296Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:00Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Donald Cerrone 23-9 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 4:18 — UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Gaethje · 2019-09-14
40/61Sig. strikes
17/52Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:04Control
1Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Edson Barboza 14-6 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 2:30 — UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Gaethje · 2019-03-30
20/35Sig. strikes
13/32Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:44Control
1Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W James Vick 9-1 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 1:27 — UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs. Vick · 2018-08-25
7/15Sig. strikes
10/20Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:04Control
1Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Dustin Poirier 14-4 walk-in KO/TKO · R4 0:33 — UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Gaethje · 2018-04-14
115/212Sig. strikes
174/351Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
1:04Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Eddie Alvarez 3-2 walk-in KO/TKO · R3 3:59 — UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2 · 2017-12-02
122/237Sig. strikes
155/356Absorbed
0/1Takedowns
0:06Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Michael Johnson 9-7 walk-in KO/TKO · R2 4:48 — The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale · 2017-07-07
104/174Sig. strikes
91/200Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:06Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
Walk-in records count UFC bouts in this database. For the pre-UFC career, see the record breakdown below or the Tapology button up top.
Record breakdown
How the record was built.
Full pro career, from the fighter's Wikipedia record table (Justin Gaethje) — results only; UFC bouts carry full stats in the fight history above.
Wins by method
KO/TKO
21
Submission
1
Decision
6
Other
0
Losses by method
KO/TKO
3
Submission
2
Decision
0
Other
0
Fights by organization
UFC
16
WSOF
10
Rage in the Cage
3
Ring of Fire
3
Bring the Thunder MMA
1
Full career — 33 fights, every organization
| Opponent | Method | Event | Org | Rd | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | Ilia Topuria | TKO (corner stoppage) | UFC Freedom 250
2026-06-14 |
UFC | 4 | 5:00 |
| W | Paddy Pimblett | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 324
2026-01-24 |
UFC | 5 | 5:00 |
| W | Rafael Fiziev | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 313
2025-03-08 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Max Holloway | KO (punch) | UFC 300
2024-04-13 |
UFC | 5 | 4:59 |
| W | Dustin Poirier | KO (head kick) | UFC 291
2023-07-29 |
UFC | 2 | 1:00 |
| W | Rafael Fiziev | Decision (majority) | UFC 286
2023-03-18 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Charles Oliveira | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 274
2022-05-07 |
UFC | 1 | 3:22 |
| W | Michael Chandler | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 268
2021-11-06 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Khabib Nurmagomedov | Technical Submission (triangle choke) | UFC 254
2020-10-24 |
UFC | 2 | 1:34 |
| W | Tony Ferguson | TKO (punch) | UFC 249
2020-05-09 |
UFC | 5 | 3:39 |
| W | Donald Cerrone | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Gaethje
2019-09-14 |
UFC | 1 | 4:18 |
| W | Edson Barboza | KO (punch) | UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje
2019-03-30 |
UFC | 1 | 2:30 |
| W | James Vick | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs. Vick
2018-08-25 |
UFC | 1 | 1:27 |
| L | Dustin Poirier | TKO (punches) | UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje
2018-04-14 |
UFC | 4 | 0:33 |
| L | Eddie Alvarez | KO (knee) | UFC 218
2017-12-02 |
UFC | 3 | 3:59 |
| W | Michael Johnson | TKO (punches and knees) | The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale
2017-07-07 |
UFC | 2 | 4:48 |
| W | Luiz Firmino | TKO (doctor stoppage) | WSOF 34
2016-12-31 |
WSOF | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Brian Foster | TKO (leg kicks) | WSOF 29
2016-03-12 |
WSOF | 1 | 1:43 |
| W | Luis Palomino | TKO (punches) | WSOF 23
2015-09-18 |
WSOF | 2 | 4:30 |
| W | Luis Palomino | TKO (leg kicks and punches) | WSOF 19
2015-03-28 |
WSOF | 3 | 3:57 |
| W | Melvin Guillard | Decision (split) | WSOF 15
2014-11-15 |
WSOF | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Nick Newell | TKO (punches) | WSOF 11
2014-07-05 |
WSOF | 2 | 3:09 |
| W | Richard Patishnock | TKO (punches and elbows) | WSOF 8
2014-01-18 |
WSOF | 1 | 1:09 |
| W | Dan Lauzon | KO (punches) | WSOF 6
2013-10-28 |
WSOF | 2 | 1:40 |
| W | Brian Cobb | TKO (leg kicks) | WSOF 3
2013-06-14 |
WSOF | 3 | 2:19 |
| W | Gesias Cavalcante | TKO (doctor stoppage) | WSOF 2
2013-03-23 |
WSOF | 1 | 2:27 |
| W | Adrian Valdez | TKO (punches) | Rage in the Cage 164
2012-11-16 |
Rage in the Cage | 2 | 0:19 |
| W | Drew Fickett | KO (punch) | Rage in the Cage 163
2012-10-20 |
Rage in the Cage | 1 | 0:12 |
| W | Sam Young | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Rage in the Cage 162
2012-09-29 |
Rage in the Cage | 2 | 1:58 |
| W | Marcus Edwards | Decision (unanimous) | Ring of Fire 43
2012-06-02 |
Ring of Fire | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Donnie Bell | TKO (punches) | Ring of Fire 42
2011-12-17 |
Ring of Fire | 2 | 2:57 |
| W | Joe Kelso | TKO (punches) | Bring the Thunder MMA 2
2011-10-01 |
Bring the Thunder MMA | 1 | 4:32 |
| W | Kevin Croom | KO (slam) | Ring of Fire 41
2011-08-20 |
Ring of Fire | 1 | 1:01 |
Career history from the fighter's Wikipedia record table (Justin Gaethje) — results only, no strike stats; UFC bouts are marked and carry full stats in the fight history above.
Division context
Measured against the division.
Versus the Lightweight average, over 191 qualified fighters (5+ UFC fights, 30+ minutes of cage time). Green = better than average, red = worse; the tick mark is the division mean. "Strikes absorbed" counts lower as better.