Published 23:45 IST, October 19th 2020
Khabib is gonna make me look like a *****: Justin Gaethje on his mindset ahead of UFC 254
Justin Gaethje claimed that almost every day he’s telling himself that Khabib Nurmagomedov is "gonna make me look like a ***** at UFC 254"
The current UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje recently spoke to Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole where he opened up about his upcoming bout with the “unstoppable” Khabib Nurmagomedov. The undefeated lightweight champion is currently an unstoppable force who has mauled everyone he has faced in the octagon. Nurmagomedov has breezed past major opponents, having lost only one round in his impressive UFC career. Though he boasts an incredible resume, it can’t be overlooked that Justin Gaethje would give him his toughest challenge yet.
Justin Gaethje destroys his opponents and his last bout against Tony Ferguson is one of the perfect examples of that. The two fighters clashed at UFC 249 where Justin Gaethje stopped Tony Ferguson in the fifth round to become the new interim lightweight champion. There is no doubt that Justin Gaethje has the power to change the tides of the bout with his toughness, coupled with his impressive wrestling skills. During the interview, Justin Gaethje revealed the mindset he has going into UFC 254.
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Khabib vs Gaethje: Justin Gaethje on his mindset ahead of UFC 254
Justin Gaethje claimed that almost every day he’s telling himself that Khabib Nurmagomedov is “gonna make me look like a ***** and that he’s gonna take my life from me”. He said he keeps on thinking about the worse so that he could prepare himself for the same. He added that he had the same mindset ahead of the Tony Ferguson bout and he was surprised after defeating him.
“I told myself Tony was gonna make me look like that. He was gonna embarrass me, and then I went out there and did what I did. I was absolutely surprised every time. When I knocked out Edson Barboza, I was so surprised. So yeah, I think I do it a little different than most,” Justin Gaethje added.
Justin Gaethje defiantly has the right yet different mentality ahead of the biggest fight of his career. What’s more, he possesses the skill set to pose some serious problems to Khabib Nurmagomedov. While the lightweight champion depends more on his wrestling, Justin Gaethje excels both on feet and on the ground. The two fighters are set to collide in the main event of UFC 254 which is scheduled to take place on October 24 at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Image Source: Justin Gaethje, Khabib Nurmagomedov/ Instagram
Updated 23:45 IST, October 19th 2020