"This will, by far, be my biggest accomplishment" - Justin Gaethje describes what a win over Charles Oliveira would mean to him
Justin Gaethje is set to face undisputed UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for the title this Saturday at UFC 274. Ahead of his all-important clash for the undisputed belt, ‘The Highlight’ opened up about what it would mean for him to defeat Oliveira and secure the lightweight crown.
Speaking to Kyle Forgeard and Bob Menery on the Full Send podcast, Gaethje addressed several notable topics. Menery asked Gaethje whether he’d say that the Charles Oliveira matchup is the biggest fight of his life. 'The Highlight' responded by stating:
“This will, by far, be my biggest accomplishment. One hundred percent.” Menery noted that it’d be Gaethje’s biggest accomplishment if he wins, to which the latter replied, “When I win.”
the 33-year-old further added:
“Charles Oliveira, I mean, what he’s done lately is impressive. He’s been around for so long. His story is really inspiring. Being a fan of the sport – Most submissions in the history [of the UFC]. His accolades are second to none, so like I said, biggest accomplishment in my life will happen Saturday night.”
Oliveira’s currently on an impressive 10-fight winning streak. Meanwhile, Gaethje is 7-3 in his last 10 fights. UFC 274 will mark Gaethje’s second shot at the undisputed UFC lightweight title.
Gaethje previously held the interim UFC lightweight title and faced then-undisputed UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 in October 2020. He lost the title unification matchup to Nurmagomedov via second-round submission.
Watch the Full Send Podcast episode featuring Justin Gaethje in the video below:
Justin Gaethje on the mistake he made against Khabib Nurmagomedov
UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will defend his belt against Justin Gaethje in the headlining bout at UFC 274 on May 7th. On that note, Gaethje recently addressed a critical error he made in his fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
On the UFC 274 Countdown show, ‘The Highlight’ suggested that against Nurmagomedov, he deviated from his usual game plan of pressing forward. Vowing to learn from this mistake and not repeat it against Oliveira, Gaethje said:
"I have to be perfect. The only time I've ever took another strategy, where I wasn't moving forward, was against Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and I'll never do that again. So, if he is moving forward, know then things aren't going good for me."
Check out the full video below:
Intriguingly, both Nurmagomedov and Oliveira boast masterful overall grappling prowess and exceptional submission skills. While ‘The Eagle’s’ submission abilities proved to be Gaethje’s undoing in 2020, the Arizona native would now be looking to avoid the same fate against Oliveira.
The consensus is that Gaethje holds an edge over Oliveira in regards to striking technique and KO power. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether this belief rings true on fight night.
Khabib Nurmagomedov put Justin Gaethje to sleep with a triangle choke 🤯 #UFC254 https://t.co/E2f3jCmt6M