Justin Gaethje has recalled his frightening sparring sessions with former UFC champion Kamaru Usman.
Gaethje is known for his ferocious and all-action style, which has seen him embroiled in some epic cage battles against a who’s who of fighters, including Dustin Poirier, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway.
The American trains under the guidance of renowned MMA coach Trevor Wittman under the ONX Sports banner in Colorado.
He has worked alongside former welterweight king Usman for several years, with the pair forming a competitive and strong friendship during their time competing on the roster.
And the pair have sparred on multiple occasions during their time at the pinnacle of the sport.
During an episode of the Pound-for-Pound podcast in 2024, Gaethje and Usman discussed some of the incidents that have taken place during their training duels.
Usman confronted his friend, joking: “You [Justin Gaethje] have hit me. You have tried to hurt me a few times.”
Gaethje replied: “[Usman gave me] six stitches in my chin, I still got a scar.”
Usman then suggested that he simply tried to defend himself given Gaethje had ‘tried to knock him out’.
The laughs continued between the pair as they discussed the goings on of their competitive battles.
Before Gaethje concluded: “Some guys can perform in practice. And some guys, they don’t perform under the lights.
“That is not me. I am constantly trying to take care of my partners, except unless it’s this guy [Usman].”
A competitive edge between the pair in training is what has helped them reach an elite level.
Gaethje is well ranked at No.3 in the UFC lightweight rankings and wants to keep his place at the top table.
He was recently involved in a five-round thrilling clash with Holloway, which saw him marginally miss out on the ‘BMF’ belt.
The 36-year-old was set to fight Dan Hooker this weekend, but he was forced to withdraw.
Luckily for ‘The Highlight’, he will still feature on the UFC 313 bill with Rafael Fiziev stepping in to take his place for a rematch of their 2023 fight.
Gaethje is one of many hoping to wait patiently in the queue for a shot at Islam Makhachev.
And he believes he should be line with a new victory this weekend.
“I mean, I’m always shooting for Makhachev. Right now, he’s the champion,” Gaethje said on The Jim Rome Show.
“And we saw with Poirier, I beat him and then he fought for the belt. I think timing is such a huge factor in this sport.
“And so with the huge win here and certainly a finish, I think they’re going to have to consider me.
“I’ve never fought him, and that’s what we’re looking for.”
