Justin Gaethje and Archie Colgan are teammates who have both had a huge impact on one another, pushing each other to become better versions of themselves.
Coming up, Gaethje will fight on July 29 in Salt Lake City, Utah, against Dustin Poirier for the “BMF” Championship at UFC 291. Colgan will fight June 16 in Chicago, Illinois, against Emmanuel Sanchez as part of Bellator 297.
Colgan and Gaethje are turning around relatively quickly from their last fights, which is not always easy, especially when you’re expecting a baby like Archie Colgan. In an interview with CageSide Press, Colgan explained, “Camp has been great. I never really had an opportunity to get out of shape. I had the fight Friday and got the call Monday with an opportunity to fight. As for my wife, she is just ready to be done.” Colgan won his last fight by TKO over Justin Montalvo, which put him in the top 10 of the Bellator rankings, and is now looking to put Emmanuel Sanchez on a five-fight losing streak.
“The Highlight” Gaethje is coming off a huge win over Rafael Fiziev back in March as well and is taking a huge turn-around fight against a very dangerous Poirier. Justin talked about the fight, saying, “The game plan going in was to make him miss; the more he missed, the more tired he was going to get. He does not throw in ones and twos; he throws in threes, fours, and fives, and that takes a lot out of you. The goal was to stay 3–4 inches farther away than I normally would, and no matter who I have fought, I have eventually touched them with something and caused massive amounts of damage.” Now Gaethje is in a position to get back in the title picture and avenge the loss he suffered to Poirier back in 2018.
Gaethje has never been fond of fighting for belts if they are not the real ones. When asked about fighting for the “BMF,” he stated, “My true assessment when Masvidal and Diaz fought for it was that this is stupid, and I still think it is stupid, but to the fans who think it is stupid, it is another opportunity to gain Pay-Per-View points. This belt is a championship in the eyes of the UFC, and when you are a champion in the eyes of the UFC, you get paid differently. The UFC is throwing a bone, and we always ask them to throw bones, and they never do, so for that, I am grateful.” Gaethje said he and Poirier are both deserving of fighting for the title of BMF.
Gaethje talked about the Poirier fight and how much he has grown since 2018. Gaethje said, “Since that fight, I have grown; I am five years older, and there have been tons of big fights since then. I think it will be a chess match with both of us trying to create damage. In championship fights, it comes down to who makes more mistakes, so ultimately I have to be perfect.” This fight with Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje should also clarify who is next for the title fight at 155 pounds.
Archie Colgan and Justin Gaethje went on to express their appreciation for Ali Abdelaziz, with Gaethje stating, “I have been with Ali for a long time, and he is the best manager on the market, and nobody will make the money or get the opportunities with anyone else like Ali. People think he is a snake, but he is my snake in your grass, and if he is not fighting for us, he is not doing his job.” Archie went on to say, “Ali has a lot of pull with these organizations; I signed with Bellator last year in July and have had four fights; nobody has been that active.”
Gaethje and Colgan also talked about some other influences and supporters, like their parents and Kamaru Usman. “My parents have been to every fight except Ferguson and Khabib, but they put themselves in a lot of debt to allow me to travel around the world and compete, and it has been my goal to pay them back. I bought my dad a truck and a fifth wheel, and they made the sacrifices to get me here, and they love me unconditionally, win or lose,” said Gaethje. Colgan said, “Usman was one of my favorite fighters before I met him. African ties and a former wrestler, and then I came to practice one day and he was there, and then we forged a really good relationship, friendship, and teammate. Watching him work is cool to see, and now it is no longer a fly on the wall; I am on the job with him.”
Justin added, “I think he just adds to the atmosphere; he, myself, and Archie live a similar life, and we just push ourselves harder. It adds more of a competitive atmosphere to the room, which makes us all better.”
Colgan’s goal is to be in the top five of Bellator’s rankings by the middle of next year if the Grand Prix tournament does not hold him up. Gaethje wants to be world champion by the middle of next year. Both of these fighters plan to be world champions nonetheless, and their paths continue. For Colgan, it is June 16 in Chicago, and for Gaethje, it is July 29 in Salt Lake City.
Watch our full interview with UFC 291’s Justin Gaethje and Bellator 297’s Archie Coglan above.
