Gaethje: I feel like I’m the best in the world

World Series of Fighting welterweight champion Justin Gaethje recently appeared on Denis Shkuratov and Kacper Rosolowski’s ever excellent Submission Radio for a wide ranging discussion.

On why Justin is having a rematch with Luis Palomino back to back.

I was really surprised that he wanted to take a chance at getting that butt whoopin’ again. It’s pretty painful when you get kicked in the leg like that, but more credit to him. I’m ready. He definitely hit me a couple of good times and could’ve knocked me out. I dropped him three times in the first round, so hopefully one of those is a knockout this time in the first.

Now that I have the belt I really don’t have too much of an option on saying no or turning down fights – which I never really have had that option – but you know, right now there’s a couple of guys that are worthy of fighting but they’re just, the way their schedules are working out they’re not able to fight me at this time. So Luis Palomino said yes and it’s another pay check for me. So they [WSOF] didn’t have to do too much talking me into it, I just do wish it was a different place instead of the exact same arena and stuff, but either way, you know, just gotta work hard be in better shape this fight so I can go faster go harder.

On if Justin feels pressure to make the second fight live up to the original fight with Luis.

No. No, definitely not. That fight, that’s just how it went. I don’t know, I just constantly put the pressure on. I’ve fought the same fight, you know 21 fights and all my amateur and professional fights. I come forward, I’m definitely gonna be a lot more cleaner with my shots. I’m really working on my footwork and my head position on this fight. You know, not so much the first attack, but after I attack, getting back into position. That’s what I really need to work on ’cause that’s the times I think I get hit the most.

On what Justin learned about Palomino in their first fight and if anything surprised him.

Not really, man. I knew he was going to be tough – unbelievably tough – and he was. He’s a gangster, or whatever your definition of that [is]. My definition of that, that’s what he is and he definitely was not backing down from anything. He’s going to be the same way this fight. I just think it’s gotta be easier for him to quit this fight I would say. It’s gotta be. After that first one, I don’t know. I wouldn’t take a chance.

Justin’s fight prediction against Luis Palomino.

Oh man I’m gonna knock him down with a nasty straight right punch and then I’m gonna choke him out

It’s gotta be the first (round) I’m not there to be there any longer

You can’t stop the hard right hand and then falling on his face and getting choked.

On what Justin looks to improve in this fight.

Yeah my foot work. I get a little overconfident sometimes and I kept walking forward instead of moving forward in my stance and it gets me in a little bit of trouble. You know, I start pulling away with my head whenever I get a little bit too front-heavy. So just little things like that I need to work on.

On if Justin has thought about testing himself against the lightweights in the UFC.

Yeah absolutely. Man, I love fighting under the lights. It brings me out of my shell so I can only imagine how it’s going to feel when I get to fight in front of 20,000 people, you know, I get to see how loud I can make them and see how much I can make them scream. That’s what I’m mostly looking forward to, fighting under bigger – you know, one day – fighting in a bigger organization. And I say that I feel like I’m the best in the world, but I’m a coward if I don’t go and fight the best. So one day I have to go. Yeah. But right now the money is good, World Series is taking care of me, and I really love where I’m at. I’m young in my career. I’ve only had – when I started my seven amateur fights, I didn’t start training in the gym till my fifth, sixth amateur fight. So I’ve been in the gym for like three years now and working on my striking, and I got a long ways to go.

On if Justin believes Rafael Dos Anjos is a long term UFC Lightweight champion.

Oh man, he’s had so many fights in the UFC. He’s had a lot more fights than a lot of lightweights. That guy has learned a lot of lessons that are to be learned when you get to that stage. So yeah I don’t think he’s..…with MMA, you know it takes one shot. He’s going to get beat obviously, but I don’t think he’s going anywhere. He’s right up there. He’s at the top of his game right now. He’s unbelievably strong it looks like, and he’s got great heart.

Thoughts on Rafael being labelled a PED user by Cowboy Cerrone and others.

Yeah, I mean I don’t know. I don’t know what they’re basing their statements of off. I mean even if I saw someone stick a needle up their ass I probably wouldn’t go telling the media or blowing the whistle. I mean that’s their own problem. I don’t mind fighting guys on PEDs or whatever. It’s a little bit of false confidence and they obviously need something, so I don’t know. I don’t know how they can base or even say things like that.

If Justin’s impressed with McGregor and if how he thinks he’d do at lightweight.

I’m definitely impressed by Conor McGregor to say the least. The guy is doing fantastic things for our sport, for himself. I think he’s only 26 years old and he’s doing great. I definitely think he’s gonna have [a hard time with] Frankie Edgar. I think Frankie Edgar would mess him up. I’m a huge fan of Frankie’s. So I don’t think he’s that…I don’t think he’s great by any means. You know, he’s very, very confident and confidence can take you a long ways, but he definitely looked out of his element when he was on the ground getting elbows in the face.

On who Justin wants to fight most from the Lightweight division in the UFC.

Yeah there’s so many. I wanna fight all of them I guess, but man Gilbert Melendez would be a fun fight. I’d love to fight him, yeah Dos Anjos, Cerrone, Pettis. All of them. I don’t know, Khabib would be a crazy fight. That’s probably one of the toughest fights for me in the UFC, with his ground game and how hard he works and how hard he pushes the pace. But no matter who I fight I’m go forward and I ain’t going backwards.