Justin Gaethje

Justin 'The Highlight' Gaethje earned his nickname honestly. A former WSOF champion who came to the UFC undefeated, he made his name in all-out shootouts before evolving into a smarter, equally dangerous version of himself who captured the interim lightweight title with a dominant 2020 win over Tony Ferguson. He challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed belt that same year, and in 2023 won the BMF title with a stunning second-round head-kick knockout of Dustin Poirier — one of the most-replayed finishes in company history.

Gaethje's appeal is simple: nobody in the division offers a higher guarantee of violence. His low kicks chop opponents apart and his power stays lethal into the championship rounds. Honest about being a fighter rather than a point-scorer, he has become one of the UFC's most bankable draws and a perennial title threat at lightweight.