Nick Newell, reflecting on his 2014 WSOF title fight loss to Justin Gaethje, described Gaethje as one of only two fighters he has ever seen who do not change their output or aggression even when visibly exhausted. Newell said Gaethje continued to hit hard, throw volume, and press forward despite clearly laboring for breath. The other fighter Newell placed in that same category is Dricus Du Plessis.
Nick Newell has offered a striking tribute to Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje, revisiting their 2014 WSOF title fight and describing Gaethje as one of the most relentlessly pressure-driven fighters he has ever encountered.
Newell, now 40 years old and carrying a professional record of 14-2, reflected on facing Gaethje in that championship bout and singled him out as one of only two fighters he has witnessed who refuse to dial back their aggression or output even when visibly exhausted. According to Newell, Gaethje continued to throw hard, maintain volume, and push forward despite clearly laboring through fatigue. The blunt summary Newell offered: the only way to stop him is to kill him.
Gaethje, now 37 and the reigning Lightweight champion, has built a career that makes those words easy to believe. He holds a 28-5 record and produces an eye-catching 6.48 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate — numbers that reflect exactly the kind of unrelenting offensive pressure Newell described from their encounter more than a decade ago.
The second fighter Newell placed in that same rare category is Middleweight contender Dricus Du Plessis. The 32-year-old South African, ranked second in the Middleweight division and seventh pound-for-pound, carries a 23-3 record and similarly does not appear to operate with a lower gear. Du Plessis lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute and adds 2.22 takedown attempts per fifteen minutes, making him dangerous across multiple phases regardless of where a fight stands on the scorecards.
Why it matters
- Newell's firsthand account adds context to what Gaethje's fight tape already shows: a fighter whose pace and power do not fade under duress
- Placing Du Plessis in the same breath as a Lightweight champion signals the level of respect the Middleweight contender commands across the sport
- Both fighters are elite active competitors, meaning this comparison lands at a moment when each man's standing in their respective division is near its peak
