Long before there was talk of fighting at the White House, Justin Gaethje was already turning MMA into a live-action demolition derby with bonus gymnastics. Captured mid-backflip in front of a roaring crowd at WSOF 19, where he defended the WSOF lightweight championship, which gave us this image that perfectly sums up why fans fell in love with him. The best part? There are rumours that the officials had specifically warned Gaethje not to do his trademark flip off the cage before the fight because of safety concerns. Gaethje listened carefully, absorbed the information, and then immediately did it anyway. His war with Luis Palomino that night became one of the bloodiest and most entertaining fights outside the UFC banner, with Gaethje overwhelming him in a savage third-round finish. But this photo became the real lasting image. Airborne and reckless in the most lovable way possible. Even the commission briefly suspended him two fights later for ignoring official requests, which somehow only added to the mythology. Some fighters win fans with technical perfection. Gaethje won them by fighting like a shopping trolley with fireworks strapped to it.

March 28, 2015

WSOF 19

Phoenix, Arizona