In a thrilling rematch at UFC 313, Justin Gaethje faced Rafael Fiziev, showcasing his ability to adapt by winning a unanimous decision after three intense rounds. Fiziev surprised many by starting with wrestling, a shift from their previous encounter. Gaethje acknowledged feeling nervous initially but strategized to secure victory in the later rounds, emphasizing the importance of moving forward in the sport. With aspirations to challenge champion Islam Makhachev, Gaethje is aware of the need for continual improvement in his grappling game to succeed at the highest level.
Winning, and entertaining, are also huge parts of the sport. Gaethje, a former WSOF and interim UFC lightweight champion, not to mention BMF champ, does both. That means he's never far from a title fight, despite coming up short against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira previously.
I think all the champions move forward, and I think that's a huge part of this sport. My coaches telling me I needed to win the second and third rounds, I knew I needed to move forward.
He took a very different approach than the first fight. If I don't move forward when he's fighting like that, then I'm going to have issues. He's so fast.
It's a much different match-up than I just had. They tried to give me a donut, I took a bite, but I've got to get back to running if I'm going to fight Makhachev.
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