Justin Gaethje wants to be 'most violent mother(expletive)' in MMA

Justin Gaethje reigned supreme as WSOF’s lightweight champion. So, of course, he wants a shot at gold with his current promotion.

Beating fellow “The Ultimate Fighter 26” coach and former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez (28-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) in the pay-per-view main card of next month’s UFC 218 would certainly be a good way for Gaethje (18-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) to make his case.

Doing it in savage fashion? Even better.

“I feel like I’ve vacated the belt that I defended eight times, so yeah, I’m in the process I’m trying to get my hands on the one in the company I fight for right now,” Gaethje told MMAjunkie Radio. “But it’s one fight at a time. It’s all about how you finish nowadays. There are plenty of guys who have a claim at the title. But it’s about who’s going to finish – if I go out there and finish Eddie violently?

“The reason (lightweight champion) Conor McGregor is Conor McGregor is because he talks the way he does; he’s a genius. But he (expletive) knocked Jose Aldo out in 13 seconds. That helped a lot. Finishing everybody that he’s finished helped a lot. Go in there, you’ve got to finish people.

“I go in there, I finish Eddie Alvarez like I know I can – like I should. Then whatever, it should be a No. 1 contender spot. That’s what I’m fighting for. I vacated a belt, so I will expect nothing less than an opportunity at the belt.”

The fact that neither winning nor finishing fights has ever been a problem for Gaethje, who’s knocked out all but two of the opponents he’s met in his undefeated career, is certainly encouraging.

But “The Highlight” knows there’s only so much he can do.

When it comes to his MMA career, Gaethje has been living up to his end of the deal. After an undefeated stint at WSOF, where he officially defended the 155-pound title five times, the UFC made sure he got a stiff welcome in Michael Johnson. Gaethje passed the test with flying colors, knocking Johnson after almost two rounds of an insane “Fight of the Night” barnburner.

What followed was an invitation to coach “TUF” and, with it, a matchup with the man who held the UFC’s 155-pound crown before McGregor. Since his pro career started in 2011, not only has Gaethje managed to keep winning, he’s kept things exciting.

It’s only fair that he gets to reap the rewards of his hard work. But, through it all, Gaethje has always made sure to accept one harsh reality of the MMA game: his own efforts only go so far.

“I remember being on this show probably three years ago and you guys were like, ‘Dude, you’ve got to talk more (expletive),'” Gaethje recalled. “I was like, ‘I don’t think I do. I think if I keep fighting and finishing people the way that I do, I think I’m going to get paid what I want to get paid. I think I’m going to get the fights that I want.’ And that’s what’s happening right now.

“I’ve taken it one at a time. I got to fight Michael Johnson. I’m the only one who’s ever finished Michael Johnson. Two days later, they called me and asked me if I wanted to be a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. Probably a year before that, I was contemplating if I was ever going to have to go and try out for ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’

“I always look at it one at a time. I look at this fight one at a time. If I go out there and finish Eddie in 10 seconds, I can’t control whether they give me a big fight next. I can’t control who I fight next.”

Ultimately, there’s one credential that Gaethje would like to see attributed to him by the time he hangs up his gloves. Sure, more money and a UFC title to go with it would be more than welcome. But, in the meantime, he’s going to keep doing his thing.

“When I’m done, I’m going to be known as the most violent mother(expletive) in this sport,” Gaethje said. “The most entertaining. With that, comes money, for sure. Especially with the UFC, they appreciate effort. I give max effort every time I step in there. The belt? I’m working toward that.”

To hear more from Gaethje, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC 218, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom. For more information or to download past episodes, go towww.mmajunkie.com/radio.