Watch: What happened when UFC lightweights Justin Gaethje and James Vick fought?
Justin Gaethje wreaked havoc inside the octagon when he fought James Vick back in August 2018. 'The Highlight' picked up a violent knockout victory over Vick inside just two minutes of the opening round of their lightweight encounter. James Vick talked his way into the fight with Gaethje but, in the process drew the ire of 'The Highlight.'
In the lead-up to the fight, James Vick aimed constant personal jibes at Justin Gaethje and disrespected his fighting style. Gaethje, who is usually very respectful to his opponents outside the cage, took the jibes personally. In an interview with Fox Sports, 'The Highlight' made it clear that he didn't like James Vick and would make him pay for every disrespectful word.
“I can’t wait to knock him out. Make him pay for every single word that’s come out of his mouth. I don’t like the guy. I didn’t like him before I was fighting him. I don’t respect the game he plays, the fight he fights,” said Justin Gaethje.
At the time, Justin Gaethje revealed he was training with a lot of welterweight and middleweight fighters so he was confident about beating Vick. He also pointed out that lightweights are usually not as tall as Vick, so he must have fragile bones to make 155lbs despite standing over six feet tall.
“I’ve been training with a lot of 170, 185-pounders. Not gonna find a lot of 155-pounders that are 6’3, so. I’m going to go out there, he’s 6’3, he has to have fragile bones. I’m going to go out there and make my bones touch his bones and see who’s stronger,” Gaethje said.
Well, Gaethje did exactly as he advertised. He went in there and smoked James Vick in the first round of the fight.
Justin Gaethje is once again set to fight someone he doesn't like
Justin Gaethje is now set to clash with Michael Chandler in the upcoming UFC 268 pay-per-view. In a recent interaction with 'Iron,' Gaethje told Chandler that he's the second guy after James Vick, who 'The Highlighy' doesn't like. Gaethje also said he'd love to punch Chandler in the face.
“I got nothing mean to say,” said Gaethje. “We do mean things to each other one night a year. It’s been a while since I fought someone I didn’t like. For some reason you’re a little different. I think it was James Vick, the last guy I fought that I didn’t like. It’ll be fun to punch you in the face.”