The Film Room: Justin Gaethje

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Former World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje will have the chance to even his Ultimate Fighting Championship record when he takes on James Vick in the UFC Fight Night 135 main event this Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. Both men are known for their finishing skills, so the chances of their confrontation going the distance seem slim.

This edition of The Film Room shines some light upon Gaethje’s techniques and strategies.

Many fighters thrive under pressure, but no one is any more comfortable amid the chaos than Gaethje. Even when he competed outside the UFC as the only WSOF lightweight champion in history, he was hailed as one of the sport’s most exciting athletes. Some thought Gaethje’s reckless style would hold him back at the highest level, but an incredible comeback victory over Michael Johnson in his UFC debut showed his gifts extended beyond popular opinion.



Although known for his aggression and his ability to eat strikes and keep coming forward, Gaethje’s main source of success comes from one of the most basic techniques in all of combat sports. Leg kicks generally are not seen as fight-ending strikes, but Gaethje is one of the few MMA fighters to have multiple technical knockout wins via leg kicks. Not only can he win a fight based on leg kicks, but they slow down an opponent, limit his movement and force him to stand and trade in the pocket, right where Gaethje wants them. He will lead with leg kicks, counter with leg kicks and even throw some while clinching against the cage. It could be argued that Gaethje is the most creative leg kicker in the sport today.

via Gfycat

Once an opponent’s movements are limited by leg kicks, Gaethje will back him to the cage and wildly trade in the pocket until somebody drops. He will often change his pace during these exchanges. Sometimes, he swings for the fences, and other times, he intelligently picks his shots for the finish.



Since Gaethje possesses this sometimes-reckless style, he must rely on a defensive tactic rarely seen in MMA -- a tactic that allows him to defend while coming forward. Gaethje uses what is referred to in boxing as “bull guard,” which is the act of taking punches on the forearms and forehead. This is rarely seen in MMA since fighters cannot hide behind their gloves like they can in boxing; as a result, an opponent’s punches can sneak through the center of one’s guard. Gaethje puts both hands in the “answer the phone” position and takes strikes on the forearms before coming back with a strike of his own, whether it be a leg kick or a lead hook.



This bull guard defense worked wonders outside of the UFC, but Gaethje has started to face more competent fighters with the ability to exploit the deficiencies of this style. Since he keeps his hands high, Gaethje is prone to body shots and any strikes up the middle, like knees and uppercuts. Eddie Alvarez perfectly exploited these holes and ripped to the body any chance he could, mixing in knees up the middle to give Gaethje the first loss of his career.

via Gfycat

While known more for his striking, Gaethje was an NCAA All-American wrestler at the University of Northern Colorado. He has offered up very little in the way of offensive wrestling, but he wields some of the best takedown defense in the division. Even with his stance square and out of position, he can defend takedowns and secure top position. Since Vick likes to grapple, Gaethje may need to lean on his takedown defense and wrestling chops more than usual.