“The Highlight” Lightweight
Justin Gaethje
11-5-0
UFC record, 16 fights, 202.2 min
28-5-0
Pro record, all promotions, as ufcstats lists it
3-1
in 4 title fights
- Height
- 5'11"
- Reach
- 70"
- Weight
- 155 lb
- Stance
- Orthodox
- Born
- Mon, Nov 14, 1988, age 37
- First UFC fight
- Fri, Jul 7, 2017
- Latest UFC fight
- Sun, Jun 14, 2026
01/How he wins
in 11 wins
3 Punches to Head At Distance (7 KO/TKO), 4 decisions in 11 wins
| How the fight ended | His wins | His losses |
|---|---|---|
| KO/TKO | 7 | 3 |
| Submission | 0 | 2 |
| Decision | 4 | 0 |
| All | 11 | 5 |
02/Career rates
16 fights, 202.2 min
Sig strikes landed
6.29 per min
1,271 in 202.2 min, 16 fights
Sig strike accuracy
57.6%
1,271 of 2,208 attempts
Sig strikes absorbed
6.83 per min
1,381 of 2,801 landed on him in 202.2 min
Takedowns
0.30 per 15 min
4 of 15 · 202.2 min
Takedown accuracy
26.7%
4 of 15 attempts
Takedown defence
22 of 30
defended of attempted on him, 202.2 min
Control time
0:59 per 15 min
13:17 of 202:09
Knockdowns
9
scored in 202.2 min, 16 fights
Submission attempts
0.00 per 15 min
0 in 202.2 min
Where his sig strikes land
84% distance, 13% clinch, 3% ground
1065 distance, 162 clinch, 44 ground of 1,271 landed
What he hits
66% head, 11% body, 23% leg
841 head, 139 body, 291 leg of 1,271 landed
Cage time
202:09
16 fights, the minutes every rate above is counted in
03/Title fights
3-1 in 4
- Wv Ilia TopuriaLightweight, title fight. Sun, Jun 14, 2026, UFC Freedom 250. KO/TKO, R4 5:00
- Wv Paddy PimblettLightweight, interim title. Sat, Jan 24, 2026, UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett. Unanimous decision, R5 5:00
- Lv Khabib NurmagomedovLightweight, title fight. Sat, Oct 24, 2020, UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje. Submission, R2 1:34
- Wv Tony FergusonLightweight, interim title. Sat, May 9, 2020, UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje. KO/TKO, R5 3:39
04/By division
1 division
| Fights | Record | Min | Sig strikes | Per min | Takedowns | Control | KD | Finishes in wins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight | 16 | 11-5-0 | 202.2 | 1,271 of 2,208 | 6.29 | 4 of 15 | 13:17 of 202:09 | 9 | 7 in 11 |
| All | 16 | 11-5-0 | 202.2 | 1,271 of 2,208 | 6.29 | 4 of 15 | 13:17 of 202:09 | 9 | 7 in 11 |
05/By year
2017 to 2026
| Fights | Record | Min | Sig strikes | Per min | Takedowns | Control | KD | Finishes in wins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 2-0-0 | 45.0 | 235 of 446 | 5.22 | 3 of 8 | 7:27 of 45:00 | 2 | 1 in 2 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1-0-0 | 15.0 | 72 of 134 | 4.80 | 0 of 3 | 1:32 of 15:00 | 1 | 0 in 1 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0-1-0 | 25.0 | 103 of 199 | 4.12 | 0 of 0 | 0:00 of 24:59 | 0 | 0 in 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 2-0-0 | 21.0 | 144 of 237 | 6.86 | 1 of 3 | 0:06 of 21:00 | 1 | 1 in 2 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0-1-0 | 3.4 | 21 of 33 | 6.24 | 0 of 0 | 0:13 of 3:22 | 1 | 0 in 0 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1-0-0 | 15.0 | 116 of 183 | 7.73 | 0 of 0 | 1:37 of 15:00 | 1 | 0 in 1 |
| 2020 | 2 | 1-1-0 | 30.2 | 172 of 242 | 5.69 | 0 of 0 | 0:14 of 30:13 | 0 | 1 in 1 |
| 2019 | 2 | 2-0-0 | 6.8 | 60 of 96 | 8.82 | 0 of 0 | 0:48 of 6:48 | 2 | 2 in 2 |
| 2018 | 2 | 1-1-0 | 17.0 | 122 of 227 | 7.18 | 0 of 0 | 1:08 of 17:00 | 1 | 1 in 1 |
| 2017 | 2 | 1-1-0 | 23.8 | 226 of 411 | 9.50 | 0 of 1 | 0:12 of 23:47 | 0 | 1 in 1 |
| All | 16 | 11-5-0 | 202.2 | 1,271 of 2,208 | 6.29 | 4 of 15 | 13:17 of 202:09 | 9 | 7 in 11 |
A career line lumps every year together, and a fighter’s 2014 does not describe his 2026. Each year here is the same count over that year’s fights alone, with its own minutes, so it can be read against the career line beneath it.
06/By round
in the fights that reached it
| Fights reached | Min in it | Sig strikes | Per min | Takedowns | Control | KD | Sub att | Ended here | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 16 of 16 | 71.6 | 439 of 786 | 6.13 | 0 of 5 | 2:22 of 71:37 | 5 | 0 | 4, won 3 |
| Round 2 | 12 of 16 | 52.4 | 350 of 606 | 6.68 | 2 of 4 | 4:40 of 52:22 | 4 | 0 | 3, won 2 |
| Round 3 | 9 of 16 | 44.0 | 281 of 465 | 6.39 | 1 of 4 | 2:59 of 43:59 | 0 | 0 | 4, won 3 |
| Round 4 | 5 of 16 | 20.6 | 120 of 211 | 5.84 | 1 of 2 | 2:11 of 20:33 | 0 | 0 | 2, won 1 |
| Round 5 | 3 of 16 | 13.6 | 81 of 140 | 5.94 | 0 of 0 | 1:05 of 13:38 | 0 | 0 | 3, won 2 |
Round length is read from each fight’s round format, so a 12-minute opening round from 1995 counts its twelve minutes. A round is counted only for the fights that reached it; the first column is the denominator for the rest of the row.
07/Fight log
16 fights, newest first
| Date | Opponent | Result | Sig strikes | Takedowns | Control | KD | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Jun 14, 2026UFC Freedom 250 | Ilia TopuriaLightweight, title fight | WKO/TKO, R4 5:00to Corner Stoppage | 91 of 192 | 0 of 5 | 1:32 | 0 | 20:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Jan 24, 2026UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett | Paddy PimblettLightweight, interim title | WUnanimous decision, R5 5:00Mike Bell 47 - 48. Derek Cleary 46 - 49. Sal D'amato 46 - 49. | 144 of 254 | 3 of 3 | 5:55 | 2 | 25:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Mar 8, 2025UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev | Rafael FizievLightweight | WUnanimous decision, R3 5:00Ben Cartlidge 28 - 29. Chris Lee 28 - 29. Ron McCarthy 28 - 29. | 72 of 134 | 0 of 3 | 1:32 | 1 | 15:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Apr 13, 2024UFC 300: Pereira vs. Hill | Max HollowayLightweight | LKO/TKO, R5 4:59Punch to Head At Distance | 103 of 199 | 0 of 0 | 0:00 | 0 | 24:59 | Rounds |
| Sat, Jul 29, 2023UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 | Dustin PoirierLightweight | WKO/TKO, R2 1:00Kick to Head At Distance | 41 of 66 | 0 of 0 | 0:01 | 1 | 6:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Mar 18, 2023UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3 | Rafael FizievLightweight | WMajority decision, R3 5:00Mark Collett 28 - 29. Clemens Werner 28 - 29. Paul Sutherland 28 - 28. | 103 of 171 | 1 of 3 | 0:05 | 0 | 15:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, May 7, 2022UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje | Charles OliveiraLightweight | LSubmission, R1 3:22Rear Naked Choke | 21 of 33 | 0 of 0 | 0:13 | 1 | 3:22 | Rounds |
| Sat, Nov 6, 2021UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 | Michael ChandlerLightweight | WUnanimous decision, R3 5:00Sal D'amato 28 - 29. Derek Cleary 28 - 29. Doug Crosby 27 - 30. | 116 of 183 | 0 of 0 | 1:37 | 1 | 15:00 | Rounds |
| Sat, Oct 24, 2020UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje | Khabib NurmagomedovLightweight, title fight | LSubmission, R2 1:34Triangle Choke From Bottom Guard | 29 of 45 | 0 of 0 | 0:14 | 0 | 6:34 | Rounds |
| Sat, May 9, 2020UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje | Tony FergusonLightweight, interim title | WKO/TKO, R5 3:39Punch to Head At Distance | 143 of 197 | 0 of 0 | 0:00 | 0 | 23:39 | Rounds |
| Sat, Sep 14, 2019UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Gaethje | Donald CerroneLightweight | WKO/TKO, R1 4:18Punch to Head At Distance | 40 of 61 | 0 of 0 | 0:04 | 1 | 4:18 | Rounds |
| Sat, Mar 30, 2019UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Gaethje | Edson BarbozaLightweight | WKO/TKO, R1 2:30Punch to Head At Distance | 20 of 35 | 0 of 0 | 0:44 | 1 | 2:30 | Rounds |
| Sat, Aug 25, 2018UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs. Vick | James VickLightweight | WKO/TKO, R1 1:27Punch to Head In Clinch | 7 of 15 | 0 of 0 | 0:04 | 1 | 1:27 | Rounds |
| Sat, Apr 14, 2018UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Gaethje | Dustin PoirierLightweight | LKO/TKO, R4 0:33Punch to Head In Clinch | 115 of 212 | 0 of 0 | 1:04 | 0 | 15:33 | Rounds |
| Sat, Dec 2, 2017UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2 | Eddie AlvarezLightweight | LKO/TKO, R3 3:59Knee to Head In Clinch | 122 of 237 | 0 of 1 | 0:06 | 0 | 13:59 | Rounds |
| Fri, Jul 7, 2017The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale | Michael JohnsonLightweight | WKO/TKO, R2 4:48Knees to Head In Clinch | 104 of 174 | 0 of 0 | 0:06 | 0 | 9:48 | Rounds |
UFC bouts only, counted from the fight rows; the promotion’s listed pro record above covers every promotion and is a different denominator. Volume is per minute of cage time and accuracy per attempt; how he finishes is counted in his wins, the one place a fight is the unit. Significant strikes only. Control time the source did not record is absent, never 0:00.