The first win of Justin Gaethje’s professional MMA career came in extremely brutal fashion.
Although for a lot of fans, their first introduction to ‘The Highlight’ will have been his UFC debut in 2017 against Michael Johnson, his highlight reel was already stacked full of brutal wins before that moment.
Even after winning his first professional world title, the Arizonan’s fighting style didn’t change, and in his first defense, he put on a brutal war against a one-armed fighter.
But even from his first fight in an MMA cage, it became clear that Justin Gaethje would go on to be a popular star, mostly known for his brutality.
Is Justin Gaethje the most exciting fighter in UFC history?
Justin Gaethje has earned $950,000 in post-fight bonuses. Credit: Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
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Gaethje’s first-ever professional win came in extremely brutal fashion
After an extremely promising college wrestling career, Gaethje turned his attention to MMA in 2008 when he competed in his first-ever amateur MMA fight.
Once he accumulated six impressive wins, without suffering defeat, ‘The Highlight’ turned pro and made his professional debut in 2011 against future UFC fighter, Kevin Croom.
The fight began at an electrifyingly fast pace with Croom looking to back Gaethje up against the cage where he landed a few big shots before he was tied up in the clinch by Gaethje.
Not long after ‘The Highlight’ caught ‘Crash’ Croom in the clinch, he performed a hip toss and looked to…
2026-01-20 02:00:00
