Nick Newell has reflected on his 2014 WSOF title fight against Justin Gaethje, which Gaethje won by TKO, describing Gaethje's pressure and toughness as virtually impossible to stop short of a knockout. Newell said Gaethje is one of only two fighters he has seen who maintain the same level of output and power even when visibly fatigued, with Dricus Du Plessis being the other.
Nick Newell has opened up about his 2014 World Series of Fighting lightweight title fight against Justin Gaethje, a contest Gaethje won by TKO, with Newell describing the current lightweight champion's pressure and durability as something he had never encountered before or since — with one notable exception.
Newell, now 40 and holding a professional record of 14-2, reflected on facing a fighter whose output simply would not diminish. The Connecticut-based southpaw has put together a career marked by consistent striking volume, averaging 3.53 significant strikes landed per minute with 46 percent accuracy, but even those qualities were not enough to slow Gaethje down on that night twelve years ago.
Gaethje, now the UFC lightweight champion at 37 years old and carrying a record of 28-5, has long been recognized as one of the sport's most relentless pressure fighters. His numbers bear that reputation out. He lands an exceptional 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy — figures that rank among the best in the division. Newell recalled that what made Gaethje so uniquely difficult to manage was not just the volume but the consistency of his power even when he was visibly tired.
Newell named only one other fighter he believes shares that same quality: Dricus Du Plessis. The South African middleweight, ranked second in his division and seventh pound-for-pound at 32 years old, carries a 23-3 record and posts 5.18 significant strikes landed per minute. Du Plessis fights out of a switch stance and adds 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes to his arsenal, giving him a well-rounded threat profile that, in Newell's view, mirrors Gaethje's refusal to fade.
Why it matters
- Newell's firsthand account adds context to Gaethje's reputation as a historically high-output pressure fighter
- Placing Du Plessis in the same category highlights the middleweight contender's growing status as an elite-level threat
- The comparison spans two weight classes, underscoring how rare Gaethje's sustained power under fatigue truly is
