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DALLAS, TX – MAY 12: Justin Gaethje speaks to the media during the UFC Summer Kickoff Press Conference at the American Airlines Center on May 12, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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DALLAS, TX – MAY 12: Justin Gaethje speaks to the media during the UFC Summer Kickoff Press Conference at the American Airlines Center on May 12, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje and Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy recently got into a spat after UFC 282. The final PPV of the year ended in controversy after both the co-main event and the main event ended in suspect decisions. In the co-main, Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett beat Jared “Flash” Gordon via unanimous decision to go 4-0 in the UFC. However, several fans and pros outright disagreed with the decision. Meanwhile, Portnoy called for a fight of the night bonus for their athlete, invoking the ire of “The Human Highlight Reel.”
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Back in October 2021, Pimblett signed a seven-figure sponsorship deal with Barstool. Therefore, Portnoy called for more accolades for their athlete after he got the judges’ nod. However, Gaethje had a difference of opinion, which has now escalated severely.
Dave Portnoy calls out Justin Gaethje for being hypocritical
Justin Gaethje openly voiced his disapproval of Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, calling Pimblett’s bout the fight of the night. “The Highlight” said it made Portnoy look “really bad,” adding Pimblett did not earn the fight of the night honors.
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LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 06: Justin Gaethje poses on the scale during the UFC weigh-in at the Park Theater on July 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
He also said Barstool could pay “The Baddy” out of their own pockets.
This makes the barstool guys look really bad. Just bending over for the lad. Fight of the night? Barstool can give him 50k but that performance will never get you a bonus in the octagon. https://t.co/VCmn8djZS0
— Justin Gaethje 🇺🇸 (@Justin_Gaethje) December 11, 2022
Portnoy did not lay back and take Gaethje’s criticism. The 45-year-old entrepreneur fired back on Twitter, criticizing Gaethje’s recent visit to Chechnya.
People are telling me @Justin_Gaethje was recently seen hanging out with a warlord accused of brutal crimes against humanity so its hypocritical for him to say we look bad for supporting Paddy when he supports a warlord. I’m gonna take high road + not mention it. #daveyhighroad https://t.co/TiuBhAnnrp
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) December 11, 2022
Dominance MMA’s athletes Justin Gaethje, Kamaru Usman, and Henry Cejudo recently received backlash for their visit to Chechnya at the invitation of controversial leader Ramzan Kadyrov. The leader of the Chechen Republic also grabbed headlines after resolving the spat between Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s teammate.
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However, Gaethje responded to Portnoy’s claims and held nothing back.
Gaethje’s response to Portnoy about the Chechnya visit
Justin Gaethje outright denied Portnoy’s claims about him hanging out with Kadyrov. He called the accusation “an outright lie and slander.”
That’s an outright lie and slander. #davesabitch
— Justin Gaethje 🇺🇸 (@Justin_Gaethje) December 12, 2022
Gaethje also added that despite visiting the Chechen Republic, he never met Kadyrov. He then lashed out at Portnoy in expletive language.
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Never met the guy. Go Fuck yourself
— Justin Gaethje 🇺🇸 (@Justin_Gaethje) December 12, 2022
Paddy Pimblett’s win raised a lot of eyebrows, including that of Justin Gaethje. However, the Barstool-sponsored athlete remained confident in his performance and the result. While Gaethje and Portnoy are beefing online, Pimblett is yet to join the conversation.
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Do you think this will escalate into a Gaethje vs. Pimblett confrontation? What are the chances we get to see “The highlight” take on “The Baddy” in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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