Exclusive: "Deserves to be there" - Dan Severn opens up on why Justin Gaethje belongs on UFC 300
Dan Severn recently opened up about Justin Gaethje and noted that the exciting lightweight has earned his place on the upcoming milestone UFC 300 card.
'The Highlight' will be defending his 'BMF' title against former featherweight champion Max Holloway. During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA's Ujwal Jain, the UFC Hall of Famer mentioned that Gaethje belongs on UFC 300 in part due to his fighting style and resume in the sport. He said:
"Justin Gaethje deserves to be there just in the sense that he has won more Fight of the Night bonuses than I think any other MMA fighter. He'll step right up and get to that pocket, and he'll just swing and swing and swing. He'll step into that pocket and just take a swing on you knowing that you're going to swing on him, but he'll still do it anyway." [24:50 - 25:17]
Severn makes a valid point as Gaethje is the perfect selection for UFC 300 as his fight will generate plenty of interest, especially considering that he is competing against an opponent who's also known for their fan appeasing fighting style.
Check out the full interview below:
Dan Severn suggests Justin Gaethje use his wrestling background and fight more cautiously
During his Hall of Fame career, Dan Severn was known for his superior wrestling and very rarely striking, which was successful as he won 101 MMA fights and didn't appear to have the noticeable effect of fighting like some of his peers.
During the aforementioned interview, 'The Beast' noted that Justin Gaethje has an amateur wrestling background and suggested that it would be best if he used it more often rather than getting into slugfests. He mentioned that utilizing his wrestling more could be more beneficial to both his career and post-retirement. He said:
"He [Justin Gaethje] has an amateur wrestling background but very rarely does he show that side of it. He shows more of his he likes to stand and bang with athletes. So, I just hope that he trains properly and takes as few of strikes as possible because there will come a point in time that he will retire...And I hope that he has a long life after that." [25:22 - 25:48]