Justin Gaethje has long been celebrated for his fearless brawling style inside the UFC Octagon — the kind of chaos that makes him a fan favorite and a bonus machine. But behind the carnage, many forget that “The Highlight” is actually a decorated NCAA Division I wrestler. Now, Gaethje has finally opened up about why he rarely leans on his grappling roots.
“I fell in love with striking”
Gaethje posted a short clip on social media explaining his reasoning, shedding light on one of the sport’s longest-running curiosities — why one of the most accomplished collegiate wrestlers in MMA almost never wrestles.
The actual reason I don’t wrestle more in my fights… pic.twitter.com/jDbow3ZUXq
— Justin Gaethje 🇺🇸 (@Justin_Gaethje) October 29, 2025
“I come from wrestling and don’t use it as much as you’d think,” Gaethje said. “Probably a good criticism, because I could have implemented it more earlier in my career. But coming from wrestling and never being a striker, I fell in love with the striking part of it.”
Indeed, Gaethje’s explosive stand-up has made him one of the most exciting fighters of his era — a man who thrives on calculated chaos. He’s built a reputation as a fearless finisher, earning multiple Fight of the Night honors, often preferring to trade leather rather than shoot for takedowns.
“I’ll never lose like that”
Gaethje also offered a practical explanation rooted in conditioning. “In college, wrestling matches were seven minutes long. Now we’re talking about 25-minute UFC fights. I could barely walk off the mat after seven minutes, so if I tried to wrestle that long, I’d gas out and get beat up. I’ll never lose like that.”
Justin Gaethje's first career UFC takedown in his 11th career UFC bout was quite momentous 😅 #UFC313 pic.twitter.com/QC3Qgam1pn
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 1, 2025
Fans may recall that Gaethje’s first takedown in the UFC didn’t come until his 11th fight with the promotion — a wild fact considering his collegiate background. His defense-first wrestling approach has instead allowed him to keep fights standing, dictating pace and forcing opponents into dangerous striking exchanges.
Prizefighting over purism
Gaethje has always been honest about his motivations. “I do this for the money,” he once said. “If I wrestled the whole time, they wouldn’t be paying me what they pay me now.”
With his exciting style, Gaethje remains one of the biggest names in the lightweight division — and a likely candidate for a blockbuster fight against Ilia Topuria in early 2026. Whether or not he ever returns to his wrestling roots, it’s clear that Gaethje’s brand of violence is here to stay.
