Justin Gaethje is a highly accomplished professional mixed martial artist from Safford, Arizona. He is famous for currently competing in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and for being a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. He is currently in a relationship with his girlfriend, Sophia Ramano.
With a wrestling background, Justin began his amateur MMA career while studying at the University of Northern Colorado. He turned professional in 2011 and soon joined the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) where he became a dominant force in the Lightweight division. He defended his WSOF belt five times before making his move to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2017. He has a fighting style that is often described as exciting, as he prefers to engage in stand-up battles and is known for his powerful striking and excellent takedown defense. As of May 9, 2022, he is ranked #3 in the UFC lightweight division.
Who are Justin Gaethje’s Parents?
Justin Gaethje is a professional mixed martial artist from Safford, Arizona, USA. He was born on November 14, 1988, and his full name is Justin Ray Gaethje. As of 2022, he is 34 years old. Justin has a twin brother named Marcus and two sisters. He holds American nationality and belongs to a mixed ethnic race. His mum is of Mexican descent from Sonora, Mexico and his dad is of German descent. He is the son of his mother, Carolina, and his father, John Ray. His mother was a postmaster while his father was a copper miner, as were both of his grandfathers. His paternal grandfather boxed while serving in the United States Army. His father Ray retired as a copper miner in September 2019, after 36 years working at the Morenci mine.
For his education, Justin attended Safford High School. After his graduation, he applied to a small college in Arizona as he wanted to stay close to his family, but instead accepted an offer from the NCAA Division I program at the University of Northern Colorado. At 18 years old, he worked a grueling summer job at the Morenci mine, where he worked seven days a week for 12 hours each day. Despite the harsh conditions, he only took one sick day in three months. As he was leaving to attend university, two co-workers told him he wouldn’t make it and would be back at the mine. This motivated Gaethje to prove them wrong and succeed.
How was the Career of Justin Gaethje?
- Gaethje started wrestling at four and attended Safford High School where he was a two-time state champion wrestler, and also played football and baseball. He graduated from Safford High School with a 191–9 record and attended the NCAA Division I program at the University of Northern Colorado, where he became the first wrestler from his school to attain Division I All-American status since 1970. He was inducted into the University of Northern Colorado Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020 for his achievements in wrestling.
- His interest in MMA started in college after wrestling UFC fighters. After improving his grades, he had an amateur debut on 2nd August 2008, where he scored a slam knockout. He won his professional debut on August 20, 2011, against Kevin Croom and compiled an undefeated 7-0 record with 6 stoppage wins on the regional circuit in Colorado and Arizona, including a victory over UFC veteran Drew Fickett.
- After his professional debut, he signed with the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) on December 2, 2012. He won his first three fights against Gesias Cavalcante, Brian Cobbm, and Dan Lauzon in the promotion and became the inaugural WSOF Lightweight Champion after defeating Richard Patishnock on January 18, 2014.
- Justin successfully defended his title five times defeating Nick Newell, Melvin Guillard, Luis Palomino, Brian Foster, and Luiz Firmino before the promotion rebranded as the Professional Fighters League (PFL). During his tenure with WSOF/PFL, he became known for his aggressive style, finishing fights with leg kicks and punches.
- In May 2017, he vacated his WSOF title and signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his UFC debut on July 7 at The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale, where he fought against veteran Michael Johnson. He won the back-and-forth fight via TKO in the second round, earning him the Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night awards. In December 2017, he faced Eddie Alvarez at UFC 218 after coaching The Ultimate Fighter 26 with him. He lost the competitive fight by KO in the third round, earning him his second consecutive Fight of the Night bonus award.
- On April 14, 2018, he faced Dustin Poirier at UFC on Fox 29, losing the back-and-forth fight via TKO in the fourth round. Despite the loss, the fight earned Gaethje his third consecutive Fight of the Night bonus award and was named the best fight of 2018 by Sherdog.
- In August 2018, he was scheduled to fight Al Iaquinta at UFC Fight Night 135, but Iaquinta withdrew, and he was replaced by James Vick. He won the fight by knockout in the first round, earning him a Performance of Night award, making it five bonus awards in four UFC fights.
- In March 2019, he faced Edson Barboza at UFC on ESPN 2, winning the fight via knockout in the first round, earning him the Fight of the Night award. In September 2019, he faced Donald Cerrone in the main event at UFC on ESPN+ 16. He won the fight via TKO in the first round, earning him his third Performance of the Night bonus award.
- In May 2020, Gaethje defeated Tony Ferguson in the fifth round via TKO to win the interim UFC Lightweight Championship. This victory made him the only fighter in UFC history to win at least one fight night bonus in each of his first seven appearances. However, he lost the title to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2020 via technical submission due to a triangle choke in the second round.
- In November 2021, he faced Michael Chandler at UFC 268, winning the bout via unanimous decision, which earned him the Fight of the Night award. This fight was named Fight of the Year by various mixed martial arts media outlets and the UFC itself. In May 2022, he faced Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 274. Despite knocking down Oliveira twice, Gaethje lost the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the first round.
- On March 18, 2023, Gaethje faced Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286, winning the back-and-forth fight via majority decision.
- His record stands at 24 wins and 4 losses, with 19 of those wins coming by way of knockout. He is known for his aggressive fighting style and has earned multiple Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night awards throughout his career. Despite his recent loss, Gaethje remains one of the top-ranked lightweight fighters in the UFC and is expected to continue his successful career in the sport.
Justin Gaethje Awards and Achievements
National Collegiate Athletic Association
- NCAA Division I All-American out of the University of Northern Colorado (2010)
- 2010 NCAA Division I 157 lb Championship – 7th Place
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Interim UFC Lightweight Championship (One time)
- Fight of the Night (Seven times) vs. Michael Johnson, Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier, Edson Barboza, Tony Ferguson, Michael Chandler and Rafael Fiziev
- Performance of the Night (Four times) vs. Michael Johnson, James Vick, Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson
- 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Johnson
- 2021 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Chandler
World Series of Fighting
- WSOF Lightweight Championship (One time; first; only)
- Most consecutive title defenses (five)
- Most wins in title bouts (six)
- Longest lightweight winning streak (10)
- Most knockout wins (nine)
World MMA Awards
- 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Eddie Alvarez at UFC 218
- 2017 Comeback of the Year vs. Michael Johnson at The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale
MMAjunkie
- 2015 March Fight of the Month vs. Luis Palomino
- 2015 September Fight of the Month vs. Luis Palomino
- 2017 Round of the Year vs. Michael Johnson (Round 1)
- 2018 Fight of the Year vs. Dustin Poirier
- 2021 November Fight of the Month vs. Michael Chandler
- 2021 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Chandler
Yahoo! Sports
- 2015 Best Fight of the Half-Year vs. Luis Palomino
- 2021 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Chandler
MMAFighting.com
- 2021 Fight of the year vs. Michael Chandler
Sherdog
- 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Johnson
- 2017 Round of the Year vs. Michael Johnson (Round 2)
- 2018 Fight of the Year vs. Dustin Poirier
- 2018 Round of the Year vs. Dustin Poirier (round 2)
- 2021 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Chandler
- 2021 Round of the Year vs. Michael Chandler (Round 1)
Bleacher Report
- 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Johnson
- 2021 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Chandler
RealSport
- 2017 UFC Debut of the Year vs. Michael Johnson
CBS Sports
- 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Johnson
- 2021 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Chandler
Bloody Elbow
- 2017 Best Fight of the Year vs. Michael Johnson
Cageside Press
- 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Johnson
- 2021 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Chandler
MMAWeekly.com
- 2018 Fight of the Year vs. Dustin Poirier
CombatPress.com
- 2018 Fight of the Year vs. Dustin Poirier
- 2021 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Chandler
MMADNA.nl
- 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Eddie Alvarez
- 2017 Debut of the Year.
Lowkick MMA
- 2021 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Chandler
Daily Mirror
- 2021 Fight of the Year vs. Michael Chandler
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- MMA Match of the Year (2018) vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje
- MMA Match of the Year (2021) vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 268
Who is Justin Gaethje’s girlfriend?
Justin Gaethje is currently in a relationship with his beautiful girlfriend, Sophia Romano. The couple has been together for a while now and Sophia recently took to her Instagram to share a heartfelt message for her boyfriend. Along with a picture of the two love birds together, Romano captioned the picture with, “Wishing the best of luck to my favorite! This year has been such a crazy experience to get to watch all your hard work and dedication from the start. I can’t get over how insanely talented, dangerous, and amazing you are as an athlete. Can’t wait to scream and cheer you on. You’re cute and I love you!!❤️ #ufc286”. During the last few tense hours before the fight, Justin managed to respond to his girlfriend with, “Love you too. Let’s get it!!”. While Justin is known for his aggressive fighting style in the octagon, it’s clear that he has a caring and supportive partner by his side outside of it. The lovebirds are enjoying their present life a lot.
Who is Sophia Ramano?
While there isn’t a lot of information about Sophia Romano on her Instagram, her LinkedIn profile reveals that she has completed a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism in 2019, after finishing her high school education at Rockville High School in Maryland. She also has a minor in Sociology and has a good grasp of Italian and Spanish, thanks to her parents. Sophia has interned for several well-known companies, including Magnum Broadcasting, WPSU Penn State, SiriusXM, NBC Universal, and ABC. She has worked in various roles, from a radio intern to a production assistant. In March 2021, she started her first part-time job as an entertainment writer for Entertainment Scoop, before joining Warner Bros. Discovery as a database coordinator in July 2021.
Sophia’s career in journalism and entertainment seems to be off to a great start, with several internships and jobs under her belt already. Her language skills and diverse work experience will likely serve her well in the future. It’s clear that she’s a hardworking and driven individual, which is no doubt something that she and Justin have in common.
How much is Justin Gaethje’s net worth?
Justin Gaethje is a successful MMA fighter, with a significant career earnings trajectory. He earned the biggest fight purse of his entire UFC career after his bout against Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov, reportedly pocketing a massive $1.2M. His yearly earnings have been on a steady rise since 2013, topping in 2020 where he earned a whopping $2.1M. In his debut year, he earned a salary of $55,000, which was followed by a significant increase in 2014, with a salary of $102,000. By 2017, his salary had increased to $468,000, and he continued to earn sizeable amounts in the following years, with a salary of $437,000 in 2018, $609,000 in 2019, and $556,000 in 2021. In 2022, he earned his salary of $652,000. His impressive earnings can be attributed to his success in the Octagon, as well as his ability to negotiate favorable contracts with the UFC. His fighting style and exciting performances have made him a fan favorite and a top draw for the UFC, leading to lucrative endorsement deals and high-profile fights.
His net worth is estimated to be $4 million as of 2023, with numerous brand endorsements throughout his career. He endorses ONX Sports, a company started by his coach and has his own brand called Violent 1. He also endorses Bulge Clothing, Saratoga Casinos, Gladiators Unleashed, and recently Gains in Bulk. Further, he has invested in a clothing line called Violet and endorses Audi, sharing several photos of Audi cars on his Instagram. With his earnings, he is living a lavish lifestyle. In December 2019, he paid the lunch debt for the entire semester of all students at West Early College, writing a $1,538.00 check for the cause. His generosity and dedication to giving back to the community reflect his admirable character, and he continues to inspire and motivate his fans both inside and outside the Octagon.
How tall is Justin Gaethje?
Justin Gaethje is a handsome man with a charming personality. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. He maintains a healthy physique by hitting the gym regularly. He is very strict towards his diet and he is conscious about his food intake.
Justin Gaethje is a successful mixed martial arts fighter known for his athletic body, standing at 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 70 kg. His success in the ring is not only due to his physical attributes but also his skill and dedication to the sport. He has competed in various high-profile matches, showcasing his talent and earning a reputation as a skilled fighter.
Leave a Reply