Justin Gaethje Says He Knows He Will Be Fighting on the White House Card

All right, we are here with the UFC interim lightweight champion of the world, Justin Gichi.

Let's talk about that interim title because you're, you're famously didn't want anything to do with it the first time you won it.

Why is it different this time?

Well, the first time I was in a 20,000 seat arena and there was nobody in there, so it was just weird.

It was just a weird, uh, environment.

But yeah, I mean, I was younger, you know, and I didn't really understand the implications of earning that.

But you know, now I understand that it makes me a, a champion on paper, which is, everything, you know, fighting for championship pay, which is why I got here.

So I'm very excited, very proud to have won that belt, and I'm very proud to represent the United States, hopefully on the White House in June against Tapura.

All right, let's.

Talk about that 155 pound division because, you know, you were that an underdog going into that fight with Patty.

I saw you all week in Vegas.

You were just locked in.

It seems like you were just shrugging off all the doubters.

Um, was it too soon for Patty?

What, what, why were you able to get your hand raised and get that, I think it's, you know, um, if you've watched his sport long enough, you've heard the, the saying matchups make fights, and, you know, he's got, he's a very unique, very funky, he throws a lot of volume.

And if you sit on the outside and try to, you know, fight him in a traditional way, it's gonna be a very hard fight to win, you know, because he's, uh, so crafty, and so for me it was I gotta fight a different style of fight which is a, a forward pressure, you know, put my head in his chest, push him backwards kind of fight, and, you know, it worked early and so there was no reason to ever, you know, go away or go into a Plan B.

And so my plan A worked and it's really what my coach instilled and, and.

You know, worked into the game plan consistently and constantly during training.

I don't ever have conversations about how we're going to fight, but it's more instilled into the workouts and, you know, it was a very just forward pressure, forward heavy fight that we were gonna fight and we found success.

Early and yeah, it was, it was a, it's definitely a great way to fight, to fight him.

Talk to me about Patty because obviously the UFC thought a lot about him, which is why they, he was fighting you for the belt.

Has he reached his ceiling?

Do you think he'll be back in that title picture because that 55 pound division, the title's pretty blurry.

Yeah, I mean, he's at a crossroad.

There's no doubt about it, you know, every single one of us athletes has reached this crossroad whenever, you know, you thought you were, for one, thinking yourself as infallible or unbeatable is, is a mistake, but it's definitely, you know, something that these young guys fall into, especially when you're winning, you know, so often, so consistently.

But I think, uh, the crossroads for him is to believe in himself again, you know, because same thing with Tony Ferguson when I fought him, he was on an 11 fight win streak.

It wasn't that I took his skill, it was that, you know, I kind of, um, chipped away at his confidence, and your confidence is your biggest factor and the the thing you can lean on the most when you're in there.

And so for him it's gonna be a challenge of getting back in the gym, you know , getting back in shape.

And learning the mistakes that he just made and not making those again, which I think came before the fight.

I don't think he made a lot of mistakes in the fight.

I think, you know, him, um, saying things like this was gonna be the same exact fight as the Michael Chandler fight, um, you know, saying that my face was gonna look different, his wasn't, you know, those are thoughts that you just because ultimately if, if he believed that to be true, then he was underestimating it, you know, because, and then under.

how dangerous this sport is.

This sport is dangerous.

You're always in danger, and to mask that danger is a mistake.

You mentioned the White House card.

You want to obviously fight Ilya and unify that title at 155 pounds.

Obviously everybody's trying to jockey for position to get on that card.

I had your buddy DC here yesterday.

He told me that Conor McGregor is more likely to fight on that card than Jon Jones.

What do you think?

Who I mean, I wouldn't say that's the case.

I think, I think Jon Jones should be on the card.

I don't know what they're, um, I'm not, I don't know why they're not trying to make that fight, you know, unless Espinal is not ready.

I don't know who Conor Rra is gonna fight.

I don't, you know, I, I've always said I don't think he'll ever fight again.

So for that to be the case would be difficult for me to imagine.

I do think that I will be on that card.

I know for a fact I'll be on that card.

Um, hopefully I'll be fighting Tempura.

He does have some personal issues going on, so I'm not sure if he'll be ready and able by June, but you know, the way he's talking, it sounds like that will be the case.

Outside of that, if he doesn't make it back, they will, they have.

Strip him, make me undisputed, and then I will defend the best.

So either way, I will be on that card as someone who represents this country, you know, every fight.

The UFC is guaranteed you'll be on that card.

They haven't guaranteed, don't they have, yeah, yeah, they, I know they, you know, Trump has announced he wants as many championship fights on there as possible.

I'm currently one of the only United States of American champions.

You know, there's 3 of us, MacKenzie Durren, Kayla Harrison, and myself.

And so I would imagine all three of us will be on that card.

Last one for me.

We're here in Vegas, obviously at the Super Bowl.

You're a big fantasy football player.

You have a famous, uh, you lost your league where you had to, yeah.

Is that the worst fantasy football punishment you've ever had to do or the worst fantasy football punishment in your league?

Yeah, that, that is the worst one in our league, and the worst part was losing.

I hate losing.

I lost to every single one of them.

They won't even jump me out.

They won't even, they will not let me out.

It's such, it's such bullcrap.

Last two years I've had great picks, and then I've just had some crazy injuries early and it just resets and just redefines my entire season.

I hate it.

Any picks for the big game Sunday?

Uh , I'm a Raiders fan, so I kind of checked out after week 3.

Uh, but my best friend is a Seahawks fan, so I'll definitely be cheering for the Patriots.

Awesome, thanks for your time, Appreciate it, man.