Justin Gaethje Losses: Who Has Defeated the UFC Star?

Former UFC BMF and interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje‘s back after almost a year following a disappointing outing last time out in April 2024. Initially scheduled to take on Dan Hooker, ‘The Highlight’ will now be facing off against Rafael Fiziev in a rematch at UFC 313 after ‘The Hangman’ pulled out due to an injury. This intriguing lightweight bout will feature on the co-main card of the event, and is guaranteed to produce some great action.

Justin Gaethje is currently #3 in the lightweight division of the UFC. A vicious striker despite having a wrestling background, the Arizona native currently has a professional MMA record of 25-5 under his name. Meanwhile, Gaethje was an undefeated fighter and a former champion at his previous promotion before his UFC debut. In fact, all of his three losses have come in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Let’s take a look at the setbacks Gaethje has suffered in his UFC career.

Who has Justin Gaethje lost to? Khabib Nurmagomedov and more

‘The Highlight’ was on an amazing seventeen-fight undefeated streak when he made a move to the UFC. After winning ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ Justin Gaethje faced the former lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez, at UFC 218. It was a three-round, gruesome scrap and both men exchanged a lot of strikes till the third round of the fight.

However, the bout ended with one minute remaining in the third round, after Alvarez landed a strong knee and sent Gaethje to the mat. Both the men showed sheer willpower in the fight and also won the ‘Fight Of The Night’ bonus. After his first loss in the UFC, ‘The Highlight’ looked for ways to get back into the win column. However, he faced the same fate in his second UFC bout. 32-year-old fresh UFC prospect faced Dustin Poirier, who was already a prominent name in the roster in 2018.

This action-packed lightweight bout was Gaethje’s first main event in the UFC. After his first defeat, he improved his performance and gave a tough fight to Poirier. However, the latter took control in the fourth round of the bout. Within the first minute of the fourth round, ‘The Diamond’ landed a barrage of punches that forced the referee to jump in and stop the fight, handing Gaethje his second UFC setback.

Despite the two losses, Justin Gaethje kept himself determined and quickly found a way into the win column. He returned to the octagon in just three months and secured a stunning first-round finish against James Vick. ‘The Highlight’ won back-to-back fights after his second UFC victory. He finished some prominent names in the UFC, like Donald Cerrone and Edson Barboza, in the first rounds of the fight.

Gaethje became the UFC interim lightweight champion by defeating Tony Ferguson at UFC 249. he later unified his belt against the champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254.’The Eagle’ was an undefeated UFC fighter and one of the most dominant in the lightweight division. He completed dominated the fight and gave a setback to’ The Highlight’ in the second round via submission in 2020.

This was Gaethje’s third UFC loss, but he was yet to be knocked out in his career, until UFC 300 arrived when he was in the midst of one of the most memorable moment in UFC history.

Justin Gaethje’s only KO loss against Max Holloway

One of the captivating moments in UFC history came when Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway locked horns in a fight where the odds were stacked against the former featherweight champion. Not many people saw ‘Blessed’ winning, but that’s exactly what he did, and that too, in the most dramatic fashion anyone could have imagined. It was just one second left on the clock for the fight when it was all over.

At 4:59 of round five, the Hawaiian did his classic pointing gesture to the mat before knocking out Justin Gaethje and lighting up the crowd in Las Vegas. It was a tremendous tribute to the UFC for the 300 PPVs they’ve given their fans, but it wasn’t a fun night for the former BMF champion. Gaethje not only suffered his first career knockout loss, but also dropped the BMF belt in the process.

Despite the loss, Justin Gaethje’s MMA record is nothing less than incredible. Regardless, what are your thoughts on the wins and losses of ‘The Highlight’? Let us know in the comments below.