Lightweight star Justin Gaethje may not have won the undisputed UFC gold, but he’s gained the fans’ love and admiration due to his exciting fighting style. With 20 career knockouts, ‘The Highlight’ has become one of the must-see fighters in the entire UFC. However, the fans aren’t the only ones who admire Gaethje, as other MMA personalities share nothing but words of praise for the 36-year-old, and longtime commentator Joe Rogan is among the bunch.

Joe Rogan is arguably the biggest voice the sport of mixed martial arts has. Having witnessed Justin Gaethje in action many times in his career, he’s convinced that there is no fighter who can inflict as much harm as the former interim lightweight champion can on his opponent. “In a sport that’s violent, it’s an inherently violent sport, he stands out as the most violent,” Rogan famously said this on his JRE podcast. And of course, these words are like a feather on Gaethje’s cap, but he claims to be not the only one who’s violent.

Justin Gaethje claims Alex Pereira deserves Joe Rogan’s ‘most violent’ label, too

When Justin Gaethje heard Joe Rogan’s statement, he was nothing but grateful. It’s one thing to be adored by the fans, and it’s another to get that from someone who’s a key figure in the sport. That’s especially true when it comes to Rogan, because before ‘The Highlight’, there were others who were known for their first inside the cage. Gaethje idolizes legends and Hall of Famers like Chuck Liddell, Mirko Cro Cop, and, of course, the dangerous and feared Wanderlei Silva, who were as violent as fighters can get.

“I love taking pictures with fans, you know. I’m going to miss it when it’s gone. Like, recognition feels really good, especially when you work so hard for something, to achieve something, and get recognized for it,” said Justin Gaethje on the Makeshift Project. Claiming that he feels privileged to be added in the same category as the aforementioned legends by Joe Rogan, he continued, “Especially by the likes of Joe Rogan, who’s been a commentator and watched Chuck Liddells and the scariest dudes that come through this sport.”

“And obviously, recent bias is a thing. But I’m the most consistent guy that’s ever stepped in there. And he’s seen us all come through there. Yeah, it means a lot,” Gaethje further added. Meanwhile, when asked about any of his contemporaries who fall into the same category, the lightweight star wasted no time in naming former UFC light heavyweight champion, “Alex Pereira.” Well, with 10 career knockouts in just 15 fights, Gaethje may not be wrong with his pick.

Well, Alex Pereira became a household name last year, which was arguably the best year of his UFC career. Three fights, three title defenses, and three wins, and that too, with three brilliant knockouts, proves that he’s not far from the “most violent” label. Justin Gaethje has been a fan of Pereira for a long time, and he even celebrated one of ‘Poatan’s wins while witnessing his fight live.

Gaethje once celebrated with Pereira’s family

There was a bit of skepticism when Khalil Rountree Jr. was named as the next title contender since he was ranked outside of the top 5 prior to UFC 307. However, the fight did not disappoint as he and Alex Pereira went toe-to-toe till the fourth round, as the former champion would drop Rountree Jr. with a brutal body shot, spelling the end of their instant classic of a matchup.

Justin Gaethje was seated in the front row as the UFC’s social media team caught his reaction following Alex Pereira’s win. ‘The Highlight’ looked ecstatic as others were left with their mouths open. In addition to that, Gaethje even celebrated Pereira’s win with his family, especially the former champion’s two sons. It was quite a wholesome sight for fans to witness him with ‘Poatan’s family.

Fortunately, we still have Justin Gaethje and Alex Pereira as active fighters, as they still have more violent performances to showcase to the fans. In the meantime, who do you have in the same bracket as the most violent fighters ever? Drop your comments down below.