Justin Gaethje revealed he had to overcome a serious bike crash just days before his title fight against Charles Oliveira back in May.
Gaethje was looking to become the undisputed champion in his second attempt as he suffered a submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov back in October of 2020. In the lead-up to the fight, Gaethje was full of trash-talking as he thought Oliveira would quit.
“My weight class, top-five, I’m going to go, I guess we’ll put Charles Oliveira at the top because he’s the champ, but he’s not the best in this weight class, I can promise you that. He still has quit and it’s not even very deep down, but I’ll put him at one for now,” Gaethje said in a UFC promo video.
Ultimately, Oliveira ended up scoring a first-round submission win, in a fight he even dropped Gaethje in. However, now months after the fight, ‘The Highlight’ revealed he was dealing with some injuries after a serious bike crash.
Justin Gaethje just revealed he suffered a vicious bike crash 18 days prior to his #UFC274 title challenge vs. Charles Oliveira in May. Smashed head on pavement, had vision issues, and road rash.
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) November 10, 2022
“Justin Gaethje just revealed he suffered a vicious bike crash 18 days prior to his UFC 274 title challenge vs. Charles Oliveira in May. Smashed head on pavement, had vision issues, and road rash.”
It is interesting that Justin Gaethje did not say anything immediately after the fight, instead, he gave Charles Oliveira his due. Yet, as he continues to be on the sidelines, he is now opening up as to what happened back in May.
As for his career, Gaethje does not have his next fight booked as he recently underwent nose surgery. Prior to the loss to Oliveira, he beat Michael Chandler in the Fight of the Year of 2021 to earn a title shot after losing to Nurmagomedov. He’s also the former lightweight champ and holds notable wins over Donald Cerrone, Edson Barboza, and Tony Ferguson to win the interim strap.
What do you make of Justin Gaethje dealing with these injuries prior to his title fight?
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
