Kamaru Usman reveals Justin Gaethje’s huge flaw in promotional strategy: “You gotta sell yourself sometimes”

Justin Gaethje, on March 8, 2025, strengthened his position in the UFC as a lightweight contender after defeating Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313. This is Gaethje’s second win over the Azerbaijani fighter. However, before his last match, Gaethje took a long layover after his defeat against Max Holloway at UFC 300. With such an explosive comeback, all eyes are now on Gaethje as to who he is going to face next. Amidst all these speculations, Gaethje’s teammate Kamaru Usman, in a recent Pound-4-Pound podcast, points out a major flaw in the American fighter’s promotional strategy.
Gaethje is known for his non-trash-talking attitude, be it post or pre-event. His interviews mostly reflect the humble side of the fighter. And this is something that Kamaru Usman adds to after Henry Cejudo stats in the podcast, how it was necessary for Gaethje to go up post the fight and ask for his title shot directly from Dana White. Over time, White has also hinted how a win at UFC 313 would likely end up in a future fixture with Islam Makhachev for Gaethje. Usman agrees with Cejudo regarding the way too nice for the ring behavior of the American fighter.
“ You are just so nice. You are too straight arrow sometimes. For me it’s like you gotta sell yourself sometimes. This is where you do it because as much of a performer you are in there, you gotta give them something to look forward to. This is what the WWE, and ‘The Rock’ and these guys do so well. Justin, you gotta do a little better job of that. But he’s just so d— honest, which is why I love that frickin’ dude.”

Speaking further, Usman emphasized how Gaethje is just a little too honest with his fans. While he stays humble about his upcoming title shot, Usman wants him to claim how he deserves that shot instead of just merely expecting it to happen.
Despite his win at the UFC 313 and the speculation amongst fans and critics regarding his upcoming fixture against Makhachev, it can’t be ignored that there are other fighters in the queue, including Ilia Topuria, Charles Oliveira, and Arman Tsarukyan, whom Gaethje has an equal probability of facing. Gaethje himself has acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating that he would need to deliver a “perfect” performance to dethrone Makhachev.
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Regardless of his next move, Gaethje’s journey toward UFC gold continues. Whether he chooses to sharpen his mic skills or let his fights do the talking, one thing is certain—fans can expect another thrilling showdown from "The Highlight" in the near future.