UFC: Justin Gaethje says he channelled Bruce Lee in Tony Ferguson win – ‘be water’
- New interim lightweight champ took inspiration from Lee’s famous motto as he tried to stay ‘emotionless’ at UFC 249
- ‘You can’t be swayed by anything … that’s all he’s [Lee] saying, just flow. Be comfortable, be content’
Justin Gaethje gives his head coach Trevor Wittman all the credit for transforming him into the fighter he is today, or “The Highlight 2.0” if you will.
But the new interim lightweight champion revealed he also used another famous source of inspiration for his shock fifth-round TKO win against Tony Ferguson at UFC 249.
Amid the chaotic peacefulness of going to war with “El Cucuy” in an empty VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville Florida, Gaethje was channelling none other than Hong Kong martial arts icon, and the grandfather of MMA himself, Bruce Lee.
“I’ve watched it [the fight] a few times. It was a masterpiece. It was really dope,” Gaethje told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. “I fought a fantastic fight, very smart.
“I have a great coach. In that setting [an empty arena] it’s so much more clear. You guys saw 20-second clips of me and Trevor talking. We had five minutes straight of us talking that you guys never saw. In that spot on that night, we go to work. I trust what he’s saying.
