UFC 268 to open with explosive Gaethje-Chandler match
MANILA, Philippines – If combat sports fans are expecting the main event of Kamaru Usman-Colby Covington to be World War III and even Fight of the Night in Sunday’s UFC 268, do not be surprised if another of the main bouts crowds them for those “honors.”
In a lightweight match that seems about a year in the making, third-ranked Justin Gaethje (23-3-0), dubbed “the Human Highlight Reel” for bagging five Fights of the Nights as well as Four Performances of the Night all in his first eight UFC fights, will take on Michael Chandler (22-6-0).
This will only be Chandler’s third UFC tussle and the first two ones were already head-turners.
In his debut, he knocked out Dan Hooker in under three minutes. Although he lost in his second match — a memorable and high-octane battle with lightweight champion Charles Oliveira — Chandler received a lot of plaudits for his efforts.
Like Chandler, Gaethje is also coming off a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in UFC 254 in October 2020, where the latter forced him to submit via triangle choke.
Yet, Gaethje’s coach, Trevor Wittman, considered one of the best MMA coaches in the world, believes that, “some of our losses can set us up for our greatest accomplishments.”
Gaethje’s training mates for UFC 268 include two other Wittman clients — Kamaru Usman, the current middleweight champion, and Rose Namajunas, the current strawweight champion.
“We’re all coached by the best coach in the world Trevor Whitman,” Gaethje told Philstar.com. “I think it’s great that we get to inspire and train with one another. It’s like when you’re in school and you go to dual matches and you had to go get the dub and inspire the rest of the team.”
As for training for two current UFC champions, Gaethje said he too picks up good habits from them: “I would say I also picked up on the work ethic. You watch them and know they are the best in the world so you do the same workouts and extra things to put yourself in these positions.”
Given all this, Gaethje is hoping to be in the best form when he faces Chandler on Sunday.
“I am as excited as every fight fan,” Gaethje said of the highly anticipated battle with Chandler. “I understand how dangerous, explosive, and how competitive he is. Us two in the Octagon, there is nothing more that we can put on that complete fireworks and chaos.”
No doubt, fans expect the match to not only be electrifying but to also not go the distance. And Gaethje agreed.
“They pay me so much money not to wrestle,” he said of high energy and all-out action bouts. “The quickest way off a wrestling match is a pin. The quickest way out of a cage is a knockout.”
Gaethje knows that a win at UFC 268 will put him in line for a shot at Oliveira.
“I am not a golfer who can stay on the greens for a long time,” he summed up. “Fighting I cannot do forever. You need to take advantage of these opportunities
Being interim champion (after beating Tony Ferguson in UFC 249) means second place but I want to be first place. And to get there, I have to be perfect on Saturday night.”
UFC 268 will be televised at 10 a.m. Sunday over Premier Sports on Skycable and Cignal and via the Tap Go app.
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