Nick Newell, who faced Justin Gaethje for the WSOF lightweight title in 2014 — a fight Gaethje won by TKO — has reflected on what makes Gaethje uniquely difficult to deal with. Newell said the only way to stop Gaethje is to knock him out cold, as fatigue and punishment do nothing to slow his output, pressure, or power. He named Gaethje and Dricus Du Plessis as the only two fighters he has ever seen who remain completely unchanged by physical exhaustion.
Nick Newell has opened up about his 2014 World Series of Fighting lightweight title fight against Justin Gaethje, offering a firsthand account of what makes the current UFC lightweight champion so uniquely difficult to stop.
Gaethje stopped Newell by TKO in that contest, and more than a decade later, Newell says the experience left a lasting impression. His central observation: the only way to truly neutralize Gaethje is to knock him unconscious. According to Newell, fatigue and accumulated punishment simply do not register with Gaethje the way they do with almost any other fighter. His pressure, output, and power remain constant regardless of what he absorbs or how deep into a fight he goes.
Newell, now 40 and holding a professional record of 14-2, has competed across a long career and seen a wide range of opponents. That context makes his assessment carry weight. He reserved the same description for just one other fighter: Dricus Du Plessis.
Gaethje, 37, is the reigning UFC lightweight champion carrying a record of 28-5. His numbers support Newell's characterization. He lands 6.48 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate — both marks that reflect sustained, high-volume aggression rather than selective potshots.
Du Plessis, the 32-year-old South African middleweight ranked second in his division and seventh pound-for-pound, operates with a similarly relentless style. He lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, also mixing in 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes to keep opponents constantly guessing.
Why it matters
- Newell's account adds rare first-person texture to what Gaethje's opponents have long described: a pressure fighter who cannot be worn down
- Placing Du Plessis in the same category links two of the sport's most physically imposing champions across different weight classes
- Both fighters are current title-level threats, making the comparison relevant to live divisional narratives rather than purely historical
