Nick Newell, who faced Justin Gaethje in a 2014 WSOF title fight, recalled that Gaethje's defining trait is an absolute refusal to change his output regardless of fatigue or damage absorbed. Newell said he has encountered only two fighters in that category — Gaethje and Dricus Du Plessis — noting that both maintain full striking volume and forward pressure even when visibly exhausted.
Nick Newell has drawn a striking comparison between current Lightweight champion Justin Gaethje and middleweight contender Dricus Du Plessis, identifying both men as the only two fighters he has ever encountered who refuse to reduce their output no matter how much punishment they absorb or how deep into a fight they go.
Newell, now 40 years old and carrying a 14-2 professional record, speaks from direct experience when it comes to Gaethje. The southpaw fought Gaethje in a 2014 WSOF title contest and recalled that the defining characteristic of the American was an unwavering forward pressure and sustained striking volume — qualities that simply did not diminish with fatigue or damage. Newell said Gaethje is one of only two fighters he has placed in that category across his entire career.
The other is Du Plessis. The 32-year-old South African holds a 23-3 record and is currently ranked second in the middleweight division and seventh pound-for-pound. Fighting out of a switch stance with a 76-inch reach, Du Plessis lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute and also averages 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a multi-dimensional threat. The relentless pressure Newell describes tracks closely with those numbers.
Gaethje, 37, holds the Lightweight title and backs up his reputation with some of the most aggressive output statistics in the division. The orthodox fighter from the United States lands 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy — among the highest rates at 155 pounds — while his 28-5 record reflects a career built almost entirely on forward aggression and volume.
Why it matters
- Newell's firsthand account adds credibility to the comparison, grounding it in lived experience rather than observation from the outside
- Du Plessis's ranking at number two in the middleweight division means any conversation about his style carries genuine divisional weight
- The comparison highlights a rare fighter trait — sustained pressure under duress — that tends to define championship-level performances
