Justin Gaethje
| Justin Gaethje | |
|---|---|
Gaethje in May 2022 | |
| Born | Justin Ray Gaethje November 14, 1988 Safford, Arizona, U.S. |
| Nickname | The Highlight |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st) |
| Division | Lightweight |
| Reach | 70 in (178 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Team | Grudge Training Center (2011–2016) Genesis Training Center Elevation Fight Team |
| Trainer | Trevor Wittman (2011–present) |
| Wrestling | NCAA Division I Wrestling |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 32 |
| Wins | 27 |
| By knockout | 20 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 6 |
| Losses | 5 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By submission | 2 |
| Amateur record | |
| Total | 7 |
| Wins | 7 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Other information | |
| University | University of Northern Colorado |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Subscribers | 114 thousand |
| Views | 8.55 million |
| Last updated: January 25, 2026 | |
Justin Ray Gaethje (/ˈɡeɪdʒi/ GAY-jee; born November 14, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist. A professional since 2011, he currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where he is the current and two-time interim UFC Lightweight Champion. He is the first fighter in UFC history to win the interim title twice and is also a former UFC "BMF" titleholder. Gaethje formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the World Series of Fighting (WSOF), where he was the first and only WSOF Lightweight Champion.
Nicknamed "the Highlight," five of Gaethje's bouts—against Michael Johnson, Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Max Holloway—have been named Fight of the Year by multiple media outlets. He has earned 15 post-fight bonus awards in 15 UFC appearances, the highest bonuses-per-fight rate in UFC history, and is tied with Edson Barboza and Dustin Poirier for the most Fight of the Night bonuses in UFC history, with 10. At 37 years old, he became the oldest fighter to win a UFC lightweight title. Fight Matrix currently ranks him as the ninth-greatest lightweight fighter of all time.