Champion
Lightweight
🇺🇸 USA

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Justin Gaethje Record, stats and next fight

28-5-0 (W-L-D)

21Wins by knockout

1Wins by submission

9First round finishes

Portrait de Justin Gaethje, combattant de MMA — Photo : Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Stats and record

33Pro fights

79%Finish rate

16UFC fights

11Title fights

17Performance bonuses

3Win streak

Wins by method

KO / TKO21 (75 %)

Submission1 (4 %)

Decision6 (21 %)

Losses by method

KO / TKO3 (60 %)

Submission2 (40 %)

Decision0 (0 %)

Profile

Age: 37 years
Born: November 14, 1988
Birthplace: Safford, Arizona, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
Weight: 154 lbs (70 kg)
Reach: 70" (178 cm)
Stance: Orthodox
Division: Lightweight
Fighting out of: Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Team: Elevation Fight Team
Trainer: Trevor Wittman
UFC debut: July 7, 2017

Fight history

Win

vs Ilia Topuria Title Bonus

UFC Freedom 250 · Jun 14, 2026 · Washington, D.C., United States

Method
TKO (corner stoppage)

Round
4

Time
5:00
Win

vs Paddy Pimblett Title Bonus

UFC 324 · Jan 24, 2026 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
5

Time
5:00
Win

vs Rafael Fiziev Bonus

UFC 313 · Mar 8, 2025 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Loss

vs Max Holloway Bonus

UFC 300 · Apr 13, 2024 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
KO (punch)

Round
5

Time
4:59
Win

vs Dustin Poirier Bonus

UFC 291 · Jul 29, 2023 · Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Method
KO (head kick)

Round
2

Time
1:00
Win

vs Rafael Fiziev Bonus

UFC 286 · Mar 18, 2023 · London, England

Method
Decision (majority)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Loss

vs Charles Oliveira Title

UFC 274 · May 7, 2022 · Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
1

Time
3:22
Win

vs Michael Chandler Bonus

UFC 268 · Nov 6, 2021 · New York City, New York, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00

Show 25 earlier fights

Loss

vs Khabib Nurmagomedov Title

UFC 254 · Oct 24, 2020 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Method
Technical Submission (triangle choke)

Round
2

Time
1:34
Win

vs Tony Ferguson Title Bonus

UFC 249 · May 9, 2020 · Jacksonville, Florida, United States

Method
TKO (punch)

Round
5

Time
3:39
Win

vs Donald Cerrone Bonus

UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Gaethje · Sep 14, 2019 · Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
4:18
Win

vs Edson Barboza Bonus

UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje · Mar 30, 2019 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Method
KO (punch)

Round
1

Time
2:30
Win

vs James Vick Bonus

UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs. Vick · Aug 25, 2018 · Lincoln, Nebraska, United States

Method
KO (punches)

Round
1

Time
1:27
Loss

vs Dustin Poirier Bonus

UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje · Apr 14, 2018 · Glendale, Arizona, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
4

Time
0:33
Loss

vs Eddie Alvarez Bonus

UFC 218 · Dec 2, 2017 · Detroit, Michigan, United States

Method
KO (knee)

Round
3

Time
3:59
Win

vs Michael Johnson Bonus

The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale · Jul 7, 2017 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
TKO (punches and knees)

Round
2

Time
4:48
Win

vs Luiz Firmino Title

WSOF 34 · Dec 31, 2016 · New York City, New York, United States

Method
TKO (doctor stoppage)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Brian Foster Title

WSOF 29 · Mar 12, 2016 · Greeley, Colorado, United States

Method
TKO (leg kicks)

Round
1

Time
1:43
Win

vs Luis Palomino Title

WSOF 23 · Sep 18, 2015 · Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
2

Time
4:30
Win

vs Luis Palomino Title

WSOF 19 · Mar 28, 2015 · Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Method
TKO (leg kicks and punches)

Round
3

Time
3:57
Win

vs Melvin Guillard

WSOF 15 · Nov 15, 2014 · Tampa, Florida, United States

Method
Decision (split)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Nick Newell Title

WSOF 11 · Jul 5, 2014 · Daytona Beach, Florida, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
2

Time
3:09
Win

vs Richard Patishnock Title

WSOF 8 · Jan 18, 2014 · Hollywood, Florida, United States

Method
TKO (punches and elbows)

Round
1

Time
1:09
Win

vs Dan Lauzon

WSOF 6 · Oct 28, 2013 · Coral Gables, Florida, United States

Method
KO (punches)

Round
2

Time
1:40
Win

vs Brian Cobb

WSOF 3 · Jun 14, 2013 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
TKO (leg kicks)

Round
3

Time
2:19
Win

vs Gesias Cavalcante

WSOF 2 · Mar 23, 2013 · Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States

Method
TKO (doctor stoppage)

Round
1

Time
2:27
Win

vs Adrian Valdez

Rage in the Cage 164 · Nov 16, 2012 · Chandler, Arizona, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
2

Time
0:19
Win

vs Drew Fickett

Rage in the Cage 163 · Oct 20, 2012 · Chandler, Arizona, United States

Method
KO (punch)

Round
1

Time
0:12
Win

vs Sam Young

Rage in the Cage 162 · Sep 29, 2012 · Chandler, Arizona, United States

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
2

Time
1:58
Win

vs Marcus Edwards

Ring of Fire 43 · Jun 2, 2012 · Broomfield, Colorado, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Donnie Bell

Ring of Fire 42 · Dec 17, 2011 · Broomfield, Colorado, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
2

Time
2:57
Win

vs Joe Kelso

Bring the Thunder MMA 2 · Oct 1, 2011 · Pueblo, Colorado, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
4:32
Win

vs Kevin Croom

Ring of Fire 41 · Aug 20, 2011 · Broomfield, Colorado, United States

Method
KO (slam)

Round
1

Time
1:01

Analysis

Justin Gaethje is the UFC lightweight champion. He won the interim belt against Paddy Pimblett in January 2026, then unified the title by beating Ilia Topuria in June, at 37. With 21 knockouts in 28 wins, he is one of the most dangerous strikers the division has seen.

Background

Born on November 14, 1988, in Safford, Arizona, Gaethje was a two-time Arizona high school state champion wrestler and an NCAA Division I All-American at Northern Colorado in 2010. He has trained under Trevor Wittman at Elevation Fight Team in Denver since 2011. Before the UFC he was the first and only WSOF lightweight champion, with five straight defenses from 2014 to 2016.

UFC career

Gaethje won the BMF belt with a head-kick knockout of Dustin Poirier in July 2023 and lost it to Max Holloway in April 2024. At UFC 324 on January 24, 2026, he beat Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision for the interim title in a Fight of the Night. At UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, 2026, Ilia Topuria’s corner stopped their unification bout in the fourth round, and Gaethje took home 825,000 dollars in bonuses.

Style

He walks forward, cuts off the cage and throws some of the heaviest low kicks in the UFC, using his wrestling mainly to stay on his feet. He holds the UFC record for Fight of the Night bonuses, with 11.

Record and titles

Pro MMA record: 28-5 (21 KO/TKO, 1 submission, 6 decisions)
UFC lightweight champion (unified June 2026), interim champion (January 2026)
Former BMF titleholder, former WSOF lightweight champion
Height 5’11” (180 cm), reach 70″ (178 cm), team Elevation Fight Team, coach Trevor Wittman

The rest of the division is on our UFC rankings page.

Sources

Data updated on September 28, 2026. Record and measurements cross-checked against official results and Wikipedia. Text written by the MMA Official editorial team.

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