Nick Newell, who faced Justin Gaethje in a 2014 WSOF title fight, reflected on what sets Gaethje apart from other fighters. Newell said the only way to stop Gaethje is to knock him out completely, noting that fatigue never changes his output, power, or pressure. He identified Gaethje and Dricus Du Plessis as the only two fighters he has seen whose performance does not diminish even under significant physical strain.
Nick Newell, who shared the cage with Justin Gaethje in a 2014 WSOF title fight, has offered a striking assessment of what makes the current lightweight champion uniquely difficult to defeat — and placed him in rare company alongside UFC middleweight Dricus Du Plessis.
Newell, now 40 and holding a professional record of 14-2, spoke from direct experience when describing Gaethje's relentlessness. His central observation was blunt: the only way to stop Gaethje is to knock him out cold. According to Newell, fatigue has no measurable effect on Gaethje's output, power, or forward pressure — a claim the numbers support. The 37-year-old American champion lands an extraordinary 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, metrics that place him among the most efficient pressure fighters in the sport. His record stands at 28-5.
Newell reserved equal praise for Du Plessis, the 32-year-old South African ranked second in the middleweight division and seventh pound-for-pound. Du Plessis, who fights out of a switch stance and carries a 23-3 record, averages 5.18 significant strikes per minute and adds a consistent 2.22 takedown attempts per 15 minutes to his arsenal, giving him a multidimensional threat profile. Newell singled him out alongside Gaethje as the only two fighters he has observed whose physical output simply does not diminish under serious strain.
Why it matters
- Newell's firsthand account of Gaethje carries weight — he faced him when both were competing for a world title, giving the comparison credibility beyond outside observation.
- Placing Du Plessis in that same category reinforces his status as an elite-tier fighter at 185 pounds as he sits at number two in the division rankings.
- The observation touches on a quality — sustained output under fatigue — that is rarely quantified but widely considered a separator at championship level.
