Justin Gaethje surprisingly credits ex-UFC star he beat in under 90 seconds when naming hardest strike he’s taken

Justin Gaethje credits James Vick for quirky strike

Beginning the career downfall of former lightweight star James Vick, Gaethje shared the Octagon with the confident contender back in 2018.

And needing just shy of 90 seconds to stop Vick, Gaethje inflicted a big knockout on the star, spelling the end of his Octagon tenure before three more brutal knockouts on the trot.

However, when listing the hardest shots he has ever faced in his career, Gaethje cited his brutal UFC 300 loss to Max Holloway, as well as his debut barnburner with Michael Johnson — as well as a particular shot from Vick.

“Max Holloway is definitely number one,” Gaethje said on his X. “First time and only time I’ve ever been put to sleep. “I remember Michael Johnson hit me with two very good shots that — I do not know how I didn’t go to sleep.

“…Before I knocked out James Vick, he kicked me in the liver really good,” Gaethje revealed. “It’s the weirdest shots that hurt in there [the Octagon]. Yeah, that one checked my liver. I was like, ‘Uh oh.'”

Justin Gaethje revealed the biggest puncher he’s fought in UFC

Entering the fray with the likes of Dustin Poirier and perennial contender Michael Chandler, the divisional powerhouses fell short when it came to the power equation, according to Gaethje.

Going on to knock down both and finish Poirier with a devastating high-kick, it was a former divisional champion who flattened him before stopping him who really caught Gaethje’s attention, it seems.