SUMMARY
- Justin Gaethje has had a history of awkward style choices.
- Recently, he sported a clean-shaven look in an interview with ESPN MMA
Justin Gaethje is one of the UFC’s most popular fan-favorite fighters. Owing to his entertaining fight style and superb performances inside the Octagon, he has garnered quite the following. With that said, he also has a reputation for being one of the most unintentionally funny fighters.
Recently, “The Highlight” had an interview with Brett Okamoto from ESPN. With his recent fight announcement catching a lot of fans by surprise, there was clearly a lot to discuss. Coming off yet another career-highlight victory, and BMF title win over Dustin Poirier, many were eager for his return.
At the same time, many were also resigned to the fact that Gaethje would face lightweight champ Islam Makhchev later in the year. However, his addition to UFC 300 was seen as a card-saving change, one that the entire fanbase was on board with. Despite all the buzz surrounding him, it was actually Justin’s appearance that caught everyone’s eye.
Fans react to Justin Gaethje’s clean-shaven look
Notably, Justin Gaethje could be seen sporting a brand new clean-shaven look for the interview. Whilst we have seen some questionable style choices from him in the past, this one seemingly sent him 10 years back in time. Thus, it was also the first observation made by Okamoto to open up the conversation.
Speaking about his new look, Gaethje said, “Yeah, I had been trying to maintain myself and it got a little bit uneven so I had to start from new”. Usually seen sporting a rugged, bearded look, the new do was something that caught many off-guard. Whilst Justin’s appearances in the past have hardly resembled that of a fighter, this look sets him back even further.
Naturally, fans had to take to social media and talk about it. As such, one fan wrote, “WHERE THE HELL IS JUSTIN GAETHJE AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HIM @ufc” and “What happened to Justin Gaethje and why does he look like he would be easy to draw”. Similarly, other fans chimed in saying, “This is why men shouldn’t fully shave their beards, but trim”. All in all, fans can agree, that the 35-year-old never ceases to entertain.
Justin Gaethje faces Max Holloway at UFC 300
Appearances aside, the main motive of the hour was to discuss Justin Gaethje’s upcoming fight against Max Holloway. Certainly one of the more surprising matchups of the year, Gaethje will defend his BMF title against ‘The Blessed Express’. With both of them being fan-favorite fighters, there was a moment of joy followed by an equal amount of remorse after the announcement.
According to Gaethje, Charles Oliveira was supposedly the clear contender for the title next. However, due to his injury, and the movement in the division, things have naturally changed. Thus, with him, Oliveira, Holloway, and Arman Tsarukyan all fighting on the same night, the two winners will make their case for the title shot next. Barring some shock upsets, Gaethje and Oliveira are expected to prevail in their respective fights.
The BMF title will be on the line at #UFC300 🚨@Justin_Gaethje & @BlessedMMA collide in a 5-round lightweight bout to see who’s the BADDEST of them all! pic.twitter.com/1TJE1h1cPT
— UFC (@ufc) January 17, 2024
However, their opponents cannot be ruled out easily either. As many are aware, Max possesses one of the most stacked resumes on the roster. Despite his losses to Alexander Volkanovski, Holloway has shown time and again that he is one of the best in the world. Now, whether he can replicate the same after moving up to 155 lbs remains to be seen.