Justin Gaethje fights Eddie Alvarez on the main card of UFC 218 for the unofficial title of most violent fighter in mixed martial arts. Wrestling has come to dominate MMA, as it allows a fighter to keep the action, or sometimes lack thereof, where he wants it. All Gaethje wants to do is deliver violence, and the same can be said of Alvarez.

Both fighters have to an extent that is career-defining put themselves in disadvantageous situations in order to throw down. However, in an interview with Jonathan Snowden for B/R, Gaethje discussed the method behind the madness.

“A lot of people say I’m reckless and I take too many shots,” said Gaethje. “I take shots on the forehead. There’s nothing wrong with that. It puts me in punching range.

“When I take a right hand, I roll with it. I don’t absorb every single bit of the punch. There’s different ways to alleviate some of the force of a punch besides just getting out of the way. When I take it, it’s on my gloves. I don’t get hit a ton on the button. When I do get hit, I feel like I’m setting myself up for big shots.”

Main Card (PPV)
Max Holloway vs. Jose Aldo
Alistair Overeem vs. Francis Ngannou
Henry Cejudo vs. Sergio Pettis
Eddie Alvarez vs. Justin Gaethje
Tecia Torres vs. Michelle Waterson
Prelim Card (Fox Sports 1)
Charles Oliveira vs. Paul Felder
Alex Oliveira vs. Yancy Medeiros
David Teymur vs. Drakkar Klose
Felice Herrig vs. Cortney Casey
Prelim Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Sabah Homasi
Jeremy Kimball vs. Dominick Reyes
Justin Willis vs. Allen Crowder
Amanda Cooper vs. Angela Magana