Nick Newell has reflected on his 2014 WSOF lightweight title fight against Justin Gaethje, which Gaethje won by TKO. Newell described Gaethje as nearly impossible to stop, noting that even when visibly fatigued and breathing hard, Gaethje maintained the same punching power, volume, and forward pressure throughout the bout. Newell said Gaethje and Dricus Du Plessis are the only two fighters he has witnessed who show no meaningful decline in output despite heavy fatigue.
Nick Newell has opened up about his 2014 World Series of Fighting lightweight title clash with Justin Gaethje, offering a vivid firsthand account of what it was like to share the cage with the man now holding the UFC lightweight championship.
Newell, a 40-year-old southpaw fighting out of Fighting Arts Academy, carries a professional record of 14-2. He challenged Gaethje for the WSOF strap over a decade ago and came up short via TKO, but the experience left a lasting impression. Newell said that even as Gaethje visibly tired and breathed hard between exchanges, his punching power, output, and forward pressure never wavered — making him feel virtually impossible to stop.
The praise carries weight given Gaethje's current standing. Now 37 and the reigning UFC lightweight champion, "The Highlight" owns a record of 28-5 and fights out of Genesis Training Center. His numbers back up Newell's assessment: Gaethje lands 6.48 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate, elite marks in a division full of dangerous hands.
Newell reserved similar admiration for only one other fighter. He singled out Dricus Du Plessis — the 32-year-old South African ranked second in the middleweight division and seventh pound-for-pound — as the one other competitor he has witnessed who sustains output through visible fatigue without meaningful decline. Du Plessis, a switch-hitter with a 23-3 record, lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute and also contributes 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes, adding a multi-dimensional threat to his durability.
Why it matters
- Newell's account offers rare insider perspective on the physical qualities that carried Gaethje to a UFC title.
- Grouping Gaethje and Du Plessis in the same bracket of elite fatigue-resistance places both fighters in rare company.
- Du Plessis's inclusion is notable given his current top-two middleweight ranking and active title contention.
