Justin Gaethje, The American Underdog, Was Built to Fight at UFC Freedom 250

A lot of fans have always viewed you as like this blue collar all-American fighter.

What does it mean to represent America in this UFC Freedom card?

I mean, it's very special for me.

I come from the middle of nowhere.

We have a Walmart.

You have to drive 2.5 hours if you want anything else.

Um, no one from the East Coast could ever understand.

Uh, how different life is in the country or in the middle of nowhere.

Uh, you know, I don't come from wealth.

I don't come from opportunity.

Uh, I've, I've made my own way.

This is the American dream, and this is, this is the truest meritocracy-based system, this UFC fighting championship in the world.

Um, I'm fighting a guy from Spain, the champion and heavyweight.

They're fighting one's from France, one's from.

One's from, uh, Brazil, but I think if you, you're a fool if you think America isn't a, isn't a bunch of mutts, we're all a bunch of mutts around here.

I'm half Mexican.

Uh, my dad's German.

I don't even know what my dad is .

Uh, they came in the 1830s.

I'm second generation on my mom's side, but, uh, it's very difficult to represent this country as a whole because we all have, you know, roots.

Somewhere else, but um, I was born here and I'm so proud to represent this country.

The farther and the more states I traveled to, the more I understand that everybody is just trying to do good for the most part, trying to, to produce more than they, more than they take and um if you're willing to do that, then you can succeed in this country and um it's the American dream.

I'm living the American dream.

I started.

Um, my first fight ever in 2008 was on a softball field in the middle of nowhere in Colorado, and now I get to fight outside on the White House lawn, so it's a culmination of events.

Uh, it's, it's beautiful.

Hold on one moment.

Pardon me, guys.

Sorry, it's still filming.

Excuse me, can you just get a little quiet down.

That.

So yeah, you talk about fighting on a softball field, so maybe this isn't the most peculiar place you've ever fought the White House lawn.

I mean this is definitely gonna top that one.

I mean, I think, uh, walking out of the Oval Office.

Um, You know, fighting in the nation's capital.

Celebrating 250 years of independence, you know, I think we were 30 to 100dogs back then, so I'm 5 to 1, so I got better odds than we had and we've come a long ways as Americans, so I love it.

Um When you visited the White House, were you visualizing what fight night would look like as you were walking around those grounds?

No, I mean, somewhat.

I was really just trying to gather information on what the experience would be, uh, where I would walk out of, but I understand that no matter what unpredictable, unpredictable variable I will, you know, face, my opponent will face the same thing.

And so being from the country, you know , I'm.

Started in the dirt, um, so we're fighting in the dirt, I'll be just as fine.

Uh , if there's a bunch of bugs, same bugs for him, humidity, I'm like, you know, preparing for that.

I'm doing half my workouts, going into the sauna for 20 minutes, coming out, doing the second half of my workouts, or finishing my workouts at the end in the sauna.

Um, all I can do is do research, look at almanacs, look at, you know, past information and historical data to, to predict what that night will be like, but whatever I face, he will face, and.

You know, when, when, when your, uh, when your life, life and limbs are on the line, those things don't even fucking matter.

So once that fight starts, I won't even be on the White House line.

I'll just be in a cage.

So in the, in the media you talk about America being an underdog, and in the media they have you as an underdog, but you're coming off winning 4 of your last 5 fights.

Does that put an extra chip on your shoulder being doubted?

Yeah, absolutely, I mean.

Oh, my, my, my career has been so unique.

Um, you know, I, I fought number 5 in 2017.

I'm the only guy that's been in the top five since 2017.

Every single guy that's, you know, they've come and gone, but, um, I fought the best, the best along the way, you know, I have lost the biggest fights, and I've only lost two previous champions, and every guy up and comer they put against me, uh, I eat, I eat like a dog walk them.

My dog walked this last guy.

Uh, he was very confident he was gonna beat me.

Um, and I've gone through and Learned all the lessons I need to learn when it comes to never believing that I'm infallible or or any better than anybody else, you know, I understand, um, he could beat me, he could knock me out.

I am human and, but I'm gonna bet on myself if I'm ever gonna bet on something that's gonna bet on me, especially with how I know how much I've sacrificed to put myself in the position.

I know how legendary this accomplishment could be and I, I set out to be a legend so in this sport, so this is everything I asked for.

You talk about that sacrifice and during this card there's a historic a million dollar purse fight of the night.

You're obviously primed.

You got the sparring partner to to do it.

How much is that on your mind?

Not at all, not at all.

I mean, the money is just a.

The financial freedom is a positive effect of my success here, but it's never, I, you never got, if you got in this for the money, you never made it as far as I did, um, but you know, I, I love the opportunity to help my parents, but they sacrifice everything for me.

They're terrible with money, so I gotta pay their credit cards off every like 2 years.

So yeah, I mean, I need that money to help them out.

Uh, one of your, one of your card mates was, uh, speculating that this might be your last one.

He said he feels like no one's told him, but he said he feels like you're gearing off to, uh, sail into the sunset.

I mean, I never planned on being alive after these fights.

I really convinced myself that I'm going to die that way I can go and be the most primal and, and cerebral person and athlete that that I can be.

Um, I do know that every question I've ever had will be answered after this fight.

Now and then it will have to be for money and I hope I never have to do that so we'll see.

100% that's the goal right now with Ilya, what, what, what challenges does he, what unique challenges does he, uh, do you face in fighting him?

I mean, confidence is, is a huge factor when you step in there, you know, his last, he's undefeated right now, um, but.

More importantly, is the last three people he's beat have been, you know, very, very, very tough points, top of the, top of the line, you know, best of the best, and so to have wins over those three guys in the fashion that he did, I mean, it's special.

He really is special and for him, it's gonna be difficult not to, to think he's special.

And again, I was, I was 17-0 at one point in my career.

I was 18-0, and, um, and I was just where he was .

He's more accomplished at this point, but.

Oh, the sport is crazy.

The sport's crazy.

The reason why we're all on the edge of our seats is because anything can happen.

There's no other sport where a person could be down 42-0 or a team could be down 42-0 and land one shot and just automatically, you know, be up 43 to 42.

I mean this, that is the case here and um I believe in my skills.

I believe in the uh.

I trust in, uh.

Chance And I gamble.

I'm ready.

Can you, can you talk to me about where you were when you got the news you were gonna be on this card and what your initial reaction was?

Yeah, I was at a fight at a UFC fight, and, uh, the day before they told me I wasn't gonna be on it and I was gonna be on it.

I think it was a fucking shit show, especially when it comes to fighters.

Who knows?

We're all, we all, I don't usually fight 2 times a year, as much as 2 times in 6 months.

So for the fact that I'm even capable of fighting right now, it is a blessing, you know, coming out of a lot of fight in January, um, but yeah, I was, I was at a fight and then they announced it over the, the big screen, and that's when I found out I was the main event.

And it was just.

Time to work, you know, really, really, really can't make it too special because it doesn't matter how special it is, uh, it ain't gonna help me.

It can only hurt me, you know, buying into all the, all the, the, the theatrics can't help me .

It's just 25 minutes in time, you know, I like to do math, thousands of minutes, 3, 38 days times 24 times 60 times 60, like 25 minutes is all I have to be perfect for.

And so, you know, I might not be perfect today or tomorrow, but on June June 14th, I will be perfect, and that's all I can control.

Alright, two more for you.

Um, one, I wanna ask you about your, um, your co-headline.

You've seen a lot of UFC.

Alex Pere is trying to do something that's never been done.

What does this do for his legacy if he's able to be successful?

Uh, I mean, again, like, uh, this sport is so inspirational because it's a, it's a merit-based system.

This guy was, um, sitting at a bar drinking beer.

All of a sudden he calls him out, and now he's about to do something that's never been done.

I mean, no other sport is that possible, you know, um.

You don't have to come from money.

You don't have to come from wealth, opportunity to, to do what we do and everybody has a, has a, has a A chance and so again it's like America.

If you're willing to outwork and outperform and out and be more disciplined and sacrifice more, then, then you're a competitor, then you will succeed and uh that's what this sport does.

Now I'm wondering, um, lastly I'm wondering.

How important is this moment for the sport of MMA and for UFC in general?

You know, I have to be selfish.

This is so important for me and for my family and for my future.

Um, the UFC is, is the, the, then they will, they will go nowhere.

This will be special, you know, forever, and I get to be a part of it.

But yeah, yeah, I am going to be very.

I don't care about that.

I don't care what this does for the UFC.

I don't care what it does, you know, for, for the company.

I care what it does for me, and my future and my family's future, and, uh, this guy's trying to take it off of me.

So I'm so happy to be here, so lucky to be in this position at 37 years old.

Just here to show that the the old dog still got it.