If you didn’t know Justin Gaethje’s name after he terrorized the World Series of Fighting as their lightweight champion, then you definitely got word of him after he put on ‘Fight of the Night’ with Michael Johnson for his UFC debut. Gaethje immediately rocketed to the division’s top five position taking out Johnson, which he’ll follow up with a fight against former UFC lightweight champ, Eddie Alvarez. It’s hard to believe that Justin Gaethje could be just a few fights away from a title shot, but he hasn’t lost since his professional MMA debut in 2011. Recently, he shared the footage of his slam knockout on his Instagram account.
#ROF41 RESULTS: Justin Gaethje def. Kevin Croom by KO(slam). Round 1, 1:01 @ROFMMA #MMA
— Rob Tatum (@RobTatum303) August 21, 2011
This was my pro debut in August 2011. Looking forward to a KO like this in the near future.
It was at Ring of Fire 41 that he debuted against the more experienced Kevin Croom. Justin Gaethje picked Croom up after he locked on an armbar, then slammed him in a Rampage Jackson-esque fashion into the canvas. Gaethje hasn’t looked back ever since. To date, he’s amassed an 18-fight win streak, a startling 15 of those victories being by knockout. His next test will be Eddie Alvarez at The Ultimate Fighter 26 finale on December 1st. Chances are, no matter which one of them wins, it won’t be going to a decision.
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 9/13/2017.