Justin Gaethje has a reputation for putting up hard-hitting fights. But his expectations from his bout against Tony Ferguson seem too much even by his standards. “The Highlight” wants his opponent Ferguson to try and kill him inside the Octagon.
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Gaethje sat down and talked with Brett Okamoto of ESPN about his preparations and expectations from the fight with Tony Ferguson.
Justin has made a name for himself by having fights that are absolute barn-burners. Win or lose, he has always gone home with a post-fight bonus in the UFC. That speaks a lot about the mindset with which he enters the Octagon. Ahead of a fight with one of the most unorthodox fighters in the UFC, Gaethje is not thinking about changing his approach. Just like any other fight, he is going for the kill, and he wants his opponent to do the same.
“When I fight him, I want him to try to kill me because I won’t respect him if he doesn’t. That’s why I expect from every athlete that trains with me. I offer 500 bucks to anyone who can drop me in sparring. I’m training for war here.”
Justin Gaethje certain he will fight Khabib if he defeats Tony Ferguson
The knockout artist, Gaethje, said that if he wins the interim belt, he will be guaranteed a shot at Khabib Nurmagomedov. Thus, winning the interim belt is only a step in the bigger journey.
“When they wrap that belt around me it’s not gonna be a destination. It’s going to be a map, a map to the top. It will be nice to have a belt wrapped around me, but it won’t mean that I’m a world champion in the UFC. When I beat Tony, I wanna fight Khabib next. That’s what I’m here for.”
By winning, Gaethje can devalue the fight between Tony and Khabib. Not only will he become the interim champ, but he will also bring an end to Tony’s win streak in the UFC. As a fan, Gaethje wants to see Khabib and Tony square off badly. However, as a competitor, he will be eyeing the interim belt as of now.
