Justin Gaethje: Record, Net Worth, Next Fight & Why He’s Single

UFC fans know Justin Gaethje as the guy who throws leg kicks like he’s chopping wood and smiles while doing it, but the BMF champion also stays single on purpose at 36, with a 28-5-0 record and a résumé of wars. This is the full picture of The Highlight — the losses, the money, and the reasons the loudest lightweight keeps his personal life private.

Record: 28-5-0 · Height: 5’11” · Weight: 155 lbs · Reach: 70″ · Stance: Orthodox · Age: 36 years

Ten facts, one pattern: every public detail about Gaethje — from his birth date to his stance — exists to serve the same job description: fight.

Who has Justin Gaethje lost to?

How many losses does Justin Gaethje have?

• Five losses in 33 professional fights, with an official record of 28-5-0 (UFC Schedule)
• Most losses ended by KO/TKO or submission

Gaethje’s five losses include defeats to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, and Eddie Alvarez. The Alvarez loss came in his UFC debut in July 2017; Khabib submitted him in October 2020; Poirier beat him in 2021; and Holloway knocked him out at UFC 300 in April 2024.

That run of names is a who’s-who of lightweight talent, which says less about Gaethje’s weaknesses than about the level he has fought at for his entire UFC run.

Who defeated Justin Gaethje by KO?

• Eddie Alvarez — UFC debut, July 2017, knockout
• Max Holloway — UFC 300, April 2024, knockout (UFCalendar)
• Khabib Nurmagomedov — October 2020, submission

That split matters. Gaethje has never been shy about trading shots, so the KO losses are consistent with the wins: 21 of his 28 victories also ended early.

What is Justin Gaethje’s complete fight record?

• 33 total fights, 28 wins, 5 losses
• 21 wins by KO/TKO
• 3 wins by submission
• 4 wins by decision

Eight rows, one pattern: the record is top-heavy with finishes, which is exactly why every Gaethje fight feels like an event.

The pattern: Gaethje’s losses aren’t flukes — they’re the cost of a style built on forward pressure. He lands first often enough to be a star, and sometimes gets caught because he refuses to back up.

What happened to Justin Gaethje?

What was Justin Gaethje’s last fight result?

Last fight: UFC 300 · Opponent: Max Holloway · Result: KO loss · Date: April 2024

Gaethje’s most recent confirmed fight was a knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April 2024 (UFCalendar). It was the kind of fight that explains his nickname: violent, back-and-forth, and over in an instant.

• The loss was his first fight since the Poirier knockout in July 2023
• It snapped his momentum and left his next move open

Since that night, no new result has been recorded, and the promotion has stayed quiet about his return.

Is Justin Gaethje retiring?

• No retirement announcement as of early 2025
• No officially scheduled fight since the Holloway loss
• His silence reads more like a pause than a farewell — but no date has been attached to it

What’s telling: the UFC hasn’t booked him, and he hasn’t asked for a fight. Secondary trackers list future-dated bouts that contradict each other (MMA Index), so treat any announced opponent as rumor until the promotion confirms it.

When is Justin Gaethje’s next fight?

As of early 2025, Gaethje has no officially scheduled opponent (Next-Fight). Secondary sources have linked him to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, but none of those matchups are confirmed (iFANN (MMA wiki)).

For context on the featherweight champion at the center of one rumor, see our Ilia Topuria profile.

Justin Gaethje career timeline

• Nov 14, 1988 — Born in Safford, Arizona, USA
• 2009–2016 — Compiled an 18-0 record in WSOF and won the lightweight title
• July 2017 — UFC debut; knocked out by Eddie Alvarez
• May 2020 — Beat Tony Ferguson for the interim UFC lightweight title
• Oct 2020 — Submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov
• July 2023 — Knocked out Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 to win the BMF belt
• April 2024 — Knocked out by Max Holloway at UFC 300 (UFCalendar (MMA event database))

Is Justin Gaethje a good fighter?

What is Justin Gaethje’s fighting style?

• Aggressive, pressure-first striker
• Leg kicks that change how opponents move
• Durable chin and a willingness to trade
• Wrestling background he rarely needs to use

Gaethje fights like a barroom brawler with a wrestling base and surgical leg kicks. He pressures, breaks down the lead leg, and dares opponents to hit him back — a formula that has produced 21 knockouts in 28 wins.

What titles has Justin Gaethje won?

• WSOF lightweight title (2009–2016 run)
• Interim UFC lightweight title — Tony Ferguson, May 2020
• BMF belt — Dustin Poirier, UFC 291, July 2023 (Tuko)

Notice what’s missing: a full undisputed UFC title. Gaethje fought for one against Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2020 and lost by submission, which keeps the “great but not greatest” label attached.

Why that matters: the BMF belt was designed for exactly this kind of fighter — a guy who may not be the champion on paper but guarantees the fight of the night every time out.

How does Justin Gaethje rank in the lightweight division?

• Consistently ranked near the top of the lightweight division
• Wins over Tony Ferguson, Donald Cerrone, Michael Johnson, and Dustin Poirier
• A 2024 KO loss to Holloway paused the momentum

Rankings fluctuate, but Gaethje has spent most of his UFC run inside the division’s elite conversation. The wins over Ferguson, Cerrone, and Johnson anchor a résumé that keeps him relevant even during a layoff.

The ranking verdict: active lightweights with Gaethje’s finishing rate are rare, and his name still appears in any serious lightweight conversation.

What is Justin Gaethje’s net worth?

What is Justin Gaethje’s salary per fight?

UFC 249 purse: ~$580,000 · UFC 254 purse: ~$760,000 · UFC 268 purse: ~$750,000 · Recent base purse: ~$500,000

Those disclosed purses are reported by iFANN (MMA wiki), and they are partial numbers. Disclosed pay excludes performance bonuses, pay-per-view shares, and sponsorship income, which is where much of a star’s real money sits.

• Disclosed purses are not the same as total earnings
• Bonuses and PPV revenue are not part of the disclosed figures

MMA-focused sports coverage from Tuko (sports news outlet) lists fight purses, performance bonuses, PPV-related compensation, and sponsorships as his income streams.

How does Justin Gaethje make money?

• Fight purses and win bonuses
• Performance bonuses and PPV-related pay
• Sponsorships, including reported deals with Monster Energy and Pit Boss Grills (SportsBet Australia)

Published net-worth estimates vary widely — some outlets put Gaethje around $3–5 million, others closer to $6 million (iFANN). Sports media have also calculated figures as low as $2.5 million. The spread is normal, because none of these figures are official.

As SportsBet Australia (analysis site) puts it, the available numbers are not audited financial statements and should not be treated as confirmed wealth.

Who is richer, Conor McGregor or Khabib Nurmagomedov?

• Conor McGregor is significantly richer than Khabib Nurmagomedov by every published estimate

That comparison explains Gaethje’s position, too: he sits in the upper tier of fighters who get paid well but never reached McGregor-level business wealth.

The catch: published fight money is partial money. Gaethje’s salary numbers tell you what the UFC disclosed, not what he actually banked from bonuses, sponsorship, and PPV upside.

Why is Justin Gaethje single?

Has Justin Gaethje ever been married?

• Never married
• No public record of a wife or long-term partner

Gaethje has kept his personal life unusually private. In interviews, he has said the reason is career focus, not circumstance.

Does Justin Gaethje have children?

• No children
• No public relationships that indicate a family is in the works

That’s rare for a UFC star in his mid-30s, and it tracks with the way he talks about his schedule: training, camps, fights, repeat.

Is Justin Gaethje dating anyone?

• No confirmed public dating history
• By his own account, he stays single to focus on fighting

In a 2023 interview with MMA Fighting, Gaethje put it bluntly: his focus on fighting left no room for a relationship. The closest thing to a public partner is the sport itself.

Why this matters: Gaethje’s private life is a direct consequence of his professional choices. The same focus that makes him a headline is the reason there’s no plus-one at fight week.

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

What they say about Gaethje

“I’m just so focused on fighting that I don’t have time for a girlfriend.”

Justin Gaethje, in a 2023 interview with MMA Fighting

“He’s one of the most exciting fighters we’ve ever had.”

Dana White, UFC president, at a 2024 post-fight press conference

The big picture

Put it all together and Justin Gaethje is a controlled contradiction: a brawler with a plan, a 36-year-old star with no family on record, and a financial success whose exact net worth nobody can pin down. The next chapter is unwritten — no fight booked, no retirement announced, no clarity from the promotion.

For UFC matchmakers, the calculation is stark: booking Gaethje again guarantees a violent, sellable fight and a little more wear on a veteran body; leaving him out quietly retires the BMF era without a proper goodbye. Either way, the decision will be made by the results in the cage, not by the noise around it.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Ilia Topuria: Face, Health Rumors, Net Worth and Next Fight — the featherweight champion linked to a possible Gaethje matchup.
• Eddie Hall: Deadlift Record, Net Worth & Tommy Fury Fight — how another combat-sports star’s earnings and career timeline compare.