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Justin Gaethje Showcases Heartwarming Gesture in New Announcement

ByDarryl Pinto

Aug 7, 2020 | 11:54 AM EDT

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UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje took to Instagram and revealed some ground-breaking news to the MMA community at large. Per the post, Gaethje disclosed that his adopted cousin was suffering from certain psychological disorders that needed care. He touched upon the severity of the matter and asked supporters to donate towards helping the future of his cousin.

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***LINK IN BIO My cousin Jona needs our help. In 2014 my Aunt’s family discovered him suffering extreme malnourishment and abuse after his mother passed away in Ghana, Africa. They started taking care of him when he was 14 months old because there was no one else there for him. They fell in love with Jona and couldn’t imagine life without him. So they adopted him when he was 2 years old. The trauma from his infancy caused severe psychological damage resulting in him developing and being diagnosed with Reactive attachment disorder (RAD), Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder(DMDD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), & cognitive issues, and along with that he also suffers from autism and ADHD. Our family has attempted to get him help from therapy and treatment programs after repeated outbursts with him threatening to hurt himself, being violent towards others & animals, breaking objects and having to call for emergency services to help calm him; however, he remains suffering from these disabilities after coming back home from the hospital. After these outbursts, he acts as if everything is fine, and he cries and cries and he says he doesn’t know why he feels like this. And he wants to be happy. He just had his 8th birthday on June 17th, and we need to raise $144,000 (Specialized treatment for RAD costs $8,000 a month for 18 months) so that he can get the specialized treatment he really needs and deserves. Untreated RAD can lead to those diagnosed going to prison or on the streets and it causes higher suicide rates. Jonathan is such a bright light in our lives and to those who have gotten to know him, but these conditions cause him to act out of character in ways that are harmful to himself, his family, and his peers. We love Jonathan and really need your help to get him the treatment he needs so that he can be happy and not feel scared or stressed when someone shows him affection. So please consider donating. Anything helps. Jonathan deserves a chance before it’s too late. Thank you to all who foster or adopt children and show them unconditional love.
A post shared by Justin Gaethje 🇺🇸 (@justin_gaethje) on Aug 6, 2020 at 2:54pm PDT

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Fans and fellow fighters have equally responded the moving post. The young boy, who recently turned 8, sustained severe psychological distress from a traumatic childhood. Not to mention, Gaethje petitioned to spread awareness for the cause as he called his fans and followers to action.

Additionally, he announced that he would be auctioning off his fight gear from his emphatic UFC 249 performance. This sincere effort from the champion was yet another reason why the MMA community keep him on a pedestal. His winning effort against Tony Ferguson was an instant ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate, thus allowing him to fetch a large sum of money.

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In addition to my last post I will also be auctioning off this fight worn stuff from UFC 249 (excluding the belt) to raise funds for my cousin Jonathan’s treatment. I will have more info on this soon.
A post shared by Justin Gaethje 🇺🇸 (@justin_gaethje) on Aug 6, 2020 at 3:12pm PDT

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Justin Gaethje: Warrior Spirit

The 155-pound interim champion has shown his fortitude inside and outside the cage, given the aforementioned announcement. Not to mention, when the cage door closes, he lives up to his moniker of ‘The Highlight’. Additionally, he has impressively earned 9 performance bonuses in just 7 UFC outings.

The aggressive striker has had his fair share of trials during his UFC tenure with back-to-back losses on his record. His gun-blazing fighting style has led to his being within the line of fire in fights against Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier. Chiefly, his recent performance against ‘El Cucuy’ has shown a great level of maturity to his game.

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Justin Gaethje is set to unify his interim championship against the undisputed king, Khabib Nurmagomedov. The two elite fighters will face off on October 24 in a match-up that has electrified the MMA community. Certain fans of the sport believe that ‘The Highlight’ possesses some stylistic traits that can foil the Dagestani champion’s record.

The MMA world at large awaits to see the two top 155-pound fighters finally square off in the octagon for the gold strap.

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Source: Justin Gaethje Instagram