Justin Gaethje is a "fan" of Rafael Fiziev's "warrior" mentality following UFC 286 war
Justin Gaethje was awarded his seventh Fight of the Night bonus following an epic three round clash with Rafael Fiziev in the co-main event of UFC 286. Going into the fight, the pair both appeared to be out for blood, with Fiziev even going as far as saying he wanted to "eat Gaethje's heart."
'Ataman' got the better of the striking exchanges in round one, but Gaethje's mid-fight adjustments led to him dominating the fight in the second and third rounds. 'The Highlight' has immense power, and out of his 24 career wins, 19 have come via knockout. Fiziev was able to absorb Gaethje's punches, but the damage to his face was telling.
The pair shared a wholesome exchange online following their clash, with Justin Gaethje labeling Rafael Fiziev a "warrior." He said this:
"I’m a fan. You are a warrior my friend. It was an honor to share the cage with you."
See the exchange below:
I’m a fan. You are a warrior my friend. It was an honor to share the cage with you @RafaelFiziev twitter.com/rafaelfiziev/s…
Justin Gaethje bounced back from his title loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 274 in style. During his post-fight interview, 'The Highlight' stated that he would be "making one more run" at the lightweight title before calling time on his career. He even voiced his eagerness for a rematch against Oliveira at the post-fight press conference.
Justin Gaethje calls out Michael Bisping for his "unprofessional" commentary at UFC 286
Justin Gaethje called out former champion and current UFC commentator Michael Bisping during the lightweight's post-fight press conference.
'The Count,' alongside Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik, was the commentary team for UFC 286 this weekend, headlined by Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman. Gaethje and Usman are longtime teammates and friends, and 'The Highlight' labeled Bisping's commentary during the UFC 286 main event as "unprofessional."
Bisping and Edwards are both UK-based fighters, and it would seem natural for 'The Count' to support his fellow countryman's efforts. But the lightweight title contender believes that Bisping's bias towards Edwards was far too obvious.
During Justin Gaethje's post-fight press conference, he was asked to share his thoughts on the outcome of the main event between Edwards and Usman. He said this:
"I thought [Usman] won the fight, but I'm probably as biased as the judges. Certainly not as biased as Michael Bisping, who shouldn't have been anywhere near a microphone during that fight... I just thought it was very unprofessional."
Watch the video below from 5:30: