Justin Gaethje knows this is the final opportunity to make a run and achieve his championship dreams.
On Monday, Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) got introspective in a video published to his YouTube channel in which he expressed his thoughts on his upcoming bout vs. Paddy Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) at UFC 324. Gaethje said he’s not disillusioned. He knows this is probably his last chance to try to obtain UFC gold.
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“I’m very excited for this opportunity,” Gaethje said. “I’d be foolish to think this is the beginning of my career. This is my last chance. This opportunity to finish my career off the way that I want to is everything that I could ask for. I’ll fight Paddy for the interim championship. If I win that, I’ll get to fight Ilia (Topuria). Ilia right now is the baddest man in my division, and some consider, across the board. What an opportunity to finish this career off exactly how I’ve fought the whole time.”
Gaethje, 37, has been in the UFC since July 2017 but carved out a name for himself as he competed in several savage wars prior during his time with World Series of Fighting (WSOF). One of the consensus most exciting fighters in the sport’s history, Gaethje has fought more strategic in recent outings. He plans to do that once again Jan. 20 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“It’s impossible to be perfect the entire time,” Gaethje said. “So the challenge right now is for me to be perfect for 25 minutes in seven weeks from now. I’ve gone through a lot of experiences and I’ve learned a lot of things and I know how to do that. Now, I’ve just got to trust my intuition and my body to put me in that position. Ultimately, the preparation is going to give me the confidence to fight the best that I can.
“I’m planning on fighting perfect and when I fight perfect, I think you have to get lucky to beat me. But the challenge is still ahead. I have to be perfect that night to knock Paddy out and earn my title shot on the White House card. That’s the plan. I think if I can do that, that’s the best way that I can ever imagine finishing off my career.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Justin Gaethje calls UFC 324 his ‘last chance’
