Justin Gaethje reveals prediction for return against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286: “Put that motherf*cker to sleep”

UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje is planning to score a knockout in his return.

‘The Highlight’ has been out of action since his clash with Charles Oliveira last May. Prior to the bout, ‘Do Bronx’ missed weight, and was stripped of his lightweight gold. As a result, only Gaethje was able to win the title in the UFC 274 main event last year.

Instead, the Brazilian got a first-round submission victory after dropping the challenger. The loss was a big setback for Gaethje, but it did allow him for a chance to get surgery on his broken nose. As a result of that surgery and subsequent recovery, he’s been out of the octagon for nearly a year.

However, the former UFC interim lightweight champion is now slated to fight Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286 in March. ‘Ataman’ enters the contest riding a six-fight winning streak, having last knocked out Rafael dos Anjos last July in his first headlining role.

As of now, Justin Gaethje is the underdog for his return next month. However, as he stated in an interview with The Schmo, he has full confidence in his preparation, and is planning to put on a show in the U.K.

According to the former interim champion, that show will likely end with a knockout.

Image Credit: @UFC/Twitter

“[The expectation] is the same as always,” stated Justin Gaethje during a recent interview with The Schmo. “Trust in the preparation, the hard work the lifelong commitment that I’ve put into this. Go in there, and put that motherf*cker to sleep.”

He continued. “We’ll see [if I get a title shot with a win], who f*cking knows. I don’t care. This fight is the only thing that matters to me right now… I do what I do, March 18th I’m going to blow the roof off the O2 Arena. Every person in attendance will get their adrenaline rush and their money’s worth.”

What do you make of these comments? Are you excited about UFC 286? Sound off in the comment section below PENN Nation!