Fear isn’t a word you often associate with Justin Gaethje. ‘The Highlight’ has built his name on chaos, trading blows with killers like Tony Ferguson, Dustin Poirier, and even Khabib Nurmagomedov. He’s the man who walks into fire and somehow smiles through it. Yet, when asked recently which opponent made him feel genuine fear, Gaethje didn’t hesitate. It wasn’t ‘The Eagle’ who choked him unconscious. It wasn’t Max Holloway, who knocked him out in the final second of UFC 300. The answer caught fans completely off guard.

According to Gaethje, the one man who truly scared him was none other than Edson Barboza, a name that instantly conjures memories of blistering kicks and highlight reels that seem to defy physics. Barboza, after all, is the same man who put Terry Etim to sleep at UFC 142 with a spinning wheel kick so violent that even a decade later, it still circulates as one of the most terrifying knockouts in UFC history!

Justin Gaethje snubs Khabib Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway for Edson Barboza

The revelation came when Gaethje shared a clip on X where he was asked point-blank: “Which fighter made you the most afraid?” His reply was simple, honest, and almost nostalgic. “I would say Edson Barboza,” he admitted. Then came the explanation, “When I was a kid, you know, I was just a fan of the sport. You’d see people get put to sleep. I’d see him do it multiple times. It’s hard not to have those thoughts in the back of your mind. You know, his leg kicks… his body kicks.”

That image of a young Justin Gaethje watching Barboza wheel-kick opponents into oblivion adds a surreal twist to their eventual collision inside the Octagon. He added, “I remember telling my friends when I was playing poker with them that I was going to fight him one day before I was in the UFC, and they told me I was full of sh–. And then I was fighting him. And I was like, here we go. Yeah, when I fought Edson Barboza, I was a little bit scared.”

Their clash in 2019 at UFC Philadelphia lived up to every ounce of the anticipation. The two most violent strikers in the lightweight division stood toe-to-toe, Gaethje’s pressure meeting Barboza’s precision. For two and a half minutes, fists, knees, and leg kicks echoed through the Wells Fargo Center like cannon fire. Then came the finish, a perfectly timed right cross from Gaethje as Barboza tried to circle out. One shot. Lights out.

But even in victory, Gaethje didn’t walk away unscathed. He admitted afterward, “That son of a gun hits hard, man. My leg is going to be sore tomorrow.”  And that was the thing about Barboza, even in defeat, his presence lingered. Joe Rogan, who has long admired Barboza’s skill, once said, “Edson Barboza is a guy who doesn’t get enough credit.” And he’s right.

The Brazilian has been part of ten ‘Fight of the Night’ classics. Few have embodied the art of violence so consistently. As such, for Justin Gaethje, fear didn’t mean weakness; it meant respect. It was the acknowledgment that someone across the cage could change your life with a single strike. And when that someone was Edson Barboza, who made careers vanish in seconds, it was only human to feel a shiver. Now, as ‘The Highlight’ waits for his chance at a shot at Ilia Topuria’s lightweight crown, a veteran has thrown his weight behind his claims to fight for the title!

Michael Chiesa calls for a Gaethje title shot as he claims “he has earned it in blood”

For Justin Gaethje, that window for gold might be closing faster than fans realize. The former BMF champion has made no secret of his frustration with how the UFC’s lightweight title picture has unfolded, especially after Ilia Topuria‘s rapid rise through the ranks. When Charles Oliveira got the vacant title fight at UFC 317 and then Paddy Pimblett earned a face-off with ‘El Matador’ at UFC 317, Gaethje couldn’t help but feel sidelined.

Michael Chiesa, himself a respected voice among fighters, recently spoke with MMA Junkie and made his stance clear, “For me, as a fighter, a big part of me feels like, you know what? Give Justin Gaethje that title fight because we only have him for just this much longer.” Chiesa’s reasoning wasn’t just about rankings; it was about respect.

He continued, “He took a huge chance when he fought Max. Whether (the UFC) promised him something or not, I don’t know that. Nobody knows the truth except for Justin. But you know what? Just give the guy the fight. He earned it. He has earned it in blood. He has earned it through his efforts, through all he has given us and left us.”

It’s hard to argue with that. Justin Gaethje has bled and suffered for the fans more than most. His wars with Dustin Poirier, his demolition of Edson Barboza, and his title bouts against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira built his reputation as one of the UFC’s most fearless warriors. Chiesa put it perfectly as he stated, “He has given us things he will never get back through the course of him having this goal of entertaining us fans. So just give him the fight. It’s a win-win scenario. The Paddy fight’s always going to be there because those guys have youth on their side.”

In a sport where courage is currency, Justin Gaethje has spent more than most. From fearing Edson Barboza’s thunderous kicks to standing toe-to-toe with legends like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway, Gaethje’s story has always been one of risk and resilience. Yet now, with the clock ticking and younger stars like Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett dominating headlines, the stakes feel different. Michael Chiesa’s words echo the sentiment many fans share. Gaethje’s not just another contender; he’s a throwback to when fighters cared more about glory than records, and he’s earned his shot the hard way!