Gaethje Not Worried About Opponent, Just Wants to Know if He’s Right- or Left-Handed

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Justin Gaethje saw various matchups fall through before finally being paired against Richard Patishnock on Saturday at World Series of Fighting 8.

Ahead of the fight, Gaethje joined the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show to discuss Patishnock, what could be next and more.

On his opponent changing: “This is something I started experiencing towards the end of my amateur career. We’re always prepared to fight whoever. I come in here every day to the gym and I work on the stuff that I need to work on to get better. It doesn’t really matter who I’m fighting. I like to see if they’re right-handed or light-handed and I like to see the pace they set. That’s really all I really need to see from my opponent.”

On the opponents he’s had scheduled for Saturday: “They all want to get the fight to the ground. Me, practicing my takedown defense, which is something I’ve been working on my entire life -- this is something I’ve been concentrating on this fight and it hasn’t really had to change from the first fight to the second fight to the third fight. I don’t see any kind of complications from the opponent change. It’s something that I expect to happen sometimes and you’ve just got to go with it.”

On Patishnock: “I have watched one fight or so and I just see he’s a guy that started in MMA -- that’s his sport. He’s really, really good in every aspect that I’ve seen him. His wrestling, his striking, his takedown defense is all good. I can’t say none of it’s great, but all of that is good. There’s not one point where I’m going to be able to relax. He’s got great kicks. He’s got a great right hand, a great left hook and some great knees and some elbows -- I’ve seen him throw some elbows. I have to be prepared for everything, just like every fight.”

On World Series of Fighting: “I’m in the same position as they are in. We’re in this together. I’m trying to build my name, build my career, and they’re trying to do the same thing. They’re giving me 100 percent and I’m going to make sure and give them 100 percent every time I step in there and try to put a show on and try to keep the ratings high and try to keep people coming back to watch the World Series of Fighting.”

On whom he’d like to fight next: “I already beat [Gesias Cavalcante]. I have nothing to prove there. I feel like some people might say it was a fluke, but there was a doctor’s stoppage. The cut was there. I was landing my punches, my knees and my elbows. I felt very confident in that fight. If that’s something that I have to do again, I have no problem doing that, but I would much rather fight Lewis Gonzalez. I want to get a different opportunity to get in there and fight someone else and get a new win on my record.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 1:29:57).