UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje has admitted that if anyone is going to prevent him from dying in the Octagon, it’ll be his head coach Trevor Wittman.
Gaethje is known for being a bit of a wild man in his style and how he puts people away when he’s fighting. Thankfully for him, his last three wins have seen him escape relatively unscathed – but that isn’t always guaranteed to happen.
During a recent interview with ESPN, Gaethje spoke about the one man who would prevent him from suffering the ultimate sacrifice when competing.
Your weekly reminder that Justin Gaethje is wired differently 😧
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 23, 2020
(via @bokamotoESPN) pic.twitter.com/J5KFGafIJy
“I can’t trust myself to protect myself from myself,” Gaethje said. “When I’m in there, I’ve made a choice to die and if someone’s going to save me from that, it’s going to be Trevor [Wittman]”.
Wittman is known for being one of the most accomplished trainers in mixed martial arts today, and he has significantly helped Gaethje in becoming a legitimate contender in the lightweight division. Of course, this quote will be seen as extreme by many fans, but it does appear to be in line with everything Gaethje has said in the past about his desire to fight and put on a show.
He’ll attempt to do so once again on May 9, if the event goes ahead, as he is scheduled to fight Tony Ferguson for the Interim Lightweight Championship at UFC 249. The UFC has been heavily criticized for attempting to make this event happen, but it doesn’t seem as if there’s all too much standing in their way now.
Justin Gaethje could elevate himself to a huge title showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov if he’s able to do the unthinkable and beat “El Cucuy”. Still, with more than two weeks remaining until the proposed fight date, fans are nervously waiting to see whether or not a spanner will be thrown in the works.
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 4/22/2020.