Josh Thomson has offered an honest assessment of Justin Gaethje and his unique fighting style following the former interim UFC lightweight champion’s latest victory.
Gaethje was originally scheduled to face Dan Hooker at UFC 313 on March 8 but the Kiwi fan favorite withdrew due to a hand injury. Rafael Fiziev stepped in for a rematch, and Gaethje went on to defeat him by unanimous decision, earning yet another Fight of the Night award.
Speaking on the Weighing In podcast, Thomson highlighted how Gaethje’s striking differs from traditional techniques, emphasizing that he does not conform to conventional boxing or kickboxing styles. He also critiqued Gaethje’s leg kicks, despite their well-documented effectiveness.
“Justin Gaethje is not a striker like any other striker we’ve seen,” Thomson said. “Not so much in terms of how he fights—it’s really about how he moves his body. He’s not a traditional boxer or kickboxer or any of those styles.
“Even his kicks — look how hard they are. Fighters have told everyone how hard he kicks, but his leg kicks look like trash,” Thomson continued. “You see him, and you’re like, it’s a weird kick. Like, it just looks weird, but everybody, everybody says they’re so painful.”
