Justin Gaethje earned his nickname before he even knew how to strike thanks to his favored technique

Many believe that Justin Gaethje will have a sizable advantage over his next opponent in one area.

Paddy Pimblett has said that he’ll strike with Gaethje when the two men meet in the main event of UFC 324 this Saturday night.

This claim has led to some fans who are backing ‘The Baddy’ to get the job done to raise some concerns based on both men’s skillsets.

Pimblett’s striking has been criticized throughout his UFC run, and while it’s certainly improved in recent years, it’s not his most dangerous weapon.

The same cannot be said for his opponent on January 24, who has gone from fighting without knowing how to throw a punch to being an incredibly dangerous striker.

Justin Gaethje had five amateur fights where his main method of attack was slamming his opponents

Justin Gaethje is no stranger to being in big UFC fights thanks to his reputation for being one of the most consistently exciting fighters of all time.

‘The Highlight’ perfectly sums up who you’re tuning in to watch when he’s making the walk, but this nickname was attached to him from a very early stage in his career.

In an appearance on the JRE MMA Show in 2020, he spoke about how it wasn’t until he got hurt in his fifth amateur fight that he looked for a coach to help refine his skills.

Gaethje admitted that he didn’t even know how to throw a punch correctly before he made this decision to try and improve.

He revealed that it was in these fights where he earned his nickname thanks to his tendency to use his wrestling to ragdoll his opponents in the cage.

“I was a machine still but I just had no skills,” he told Joe Rogan. “It was go out there and wrestle, take them down, slams. I got my nickname ‘The Highlight’ before I ever knew how to strike and that was from throwing and tossing people.”

While he hasn’t been known for his wrestling ability inside the Octagon, Gaethje’s first pro win did see him slam his opponent to get his hand raised.

Justin Gaethje’s wrestling could prove to be the difference maker at UFC 324

Many believe that while Justin Gaethje is a more dangerous striker than Paddy Pimblett, the Brit holds the advantage if the fight hits the floor.

‘The Highlight’ has only ever been submitted by Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov in his two attempts to win the undisputed lightweight title.

With a takedown defense percentage of 68%, if Gaethje can keep the fight standing by defending his opponent’s attempts, this could drastically impact the outcome of this Saturday’s main event.

It’s highly unlikely that Gaethje will go back to using his wrestling offensively but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an important factor to watch out for.