Justin Gaethje's power is a difference maker inside the cage.

The undefeated World Series of Fighting lightweight champion has been leveling his opposition at a steady clip since joining the upstart promotion three years ago. Over that stretch, Gaethje has found success in all nine of his showings, with only of those wins come via the judges' scorecards.

Therefore, the Colorado transplant's track record is lined with knockouts of both the vicious and technical varieties, all of which are made possible by the mega-watt power he carries in his hands and feet.

Gaethje destroys whatever he touches, and it has been that way for as long as he can remember.

"I've always been quite destructive and power is something I've always had," Gaethje said. "As a kid I was always breaking s**t and my mom was never happy about that. Some of it is from genes but I've been wrestling all my life and there is a lot of pushing and pulling in that sport. I have muscles in my arms I'm not even sure are supposed to be there, but they come from pushing and pulling on people's heads my entire life.

"I'm pretty strong, but I also have the best coach in the world in Trevor Wittman. He's so good about teaching you how to punch with leverage. If you are a good wrestler you have great hips and to be a great puncher you need great hips as well. Trevor has been able to teach me how to punch from the correct position and with leverage. I hit like a truck."

While Gaethje may be one of the most devastating punchers in the lightweight division, his power alone isn't what makes him so dangerous. The 28-year-old finisher works behind a rare combination of aggression and patience, as his counter game is off the charts where power punching is concerned.

MMA coaching staple Trevor Wittman has crafted Gaethje into a knockout artist who can end your night from a variety of angles and with anything he throws.


Photo Credit: World Series of Fighting

"The worst plan you can have is to try to come at me and stand in front of me and throw punches," Gaethje said. "You either have to push me backwards or be elusive because my timing is impeccable and is the reason I am where I am right now. It's the reason I haven't been beaten, because I can beat you to the punch because of my ability to react.

"If you are going to stand there and try to punch with me I'm going to win. That's what Brian [Foster] tried to do and he was putting a ton of weight on his front leg. Every time he went to throw a punch I kicked that front leg and it got banged up quick. It's pretty hard to check a kick when you are mid-punch so it all comes down to timing. And my timing is tremendous."

The path of destruction Gaethje has carved through WSOF's lightweight ranks has made him a fighter to watch across the larger MMA landscape. While that may seem like a no-brainer to some, any fighter competing outside of the UFC roster who has earned the right to be included in crossover debates wears that badge of honor proudly.

From a personal standpoint, Gaethje would be more than happy to go toe-to-toe with his peers in the elite realm of the 155-pound division, but that is where the fantasy matchmaking ends for the time being.

Where many fighters have blindly jumped over to the UFC because those three letters carry a strange validation, Gaethje doesn't care about pointless chatter, only progress that comes in the technical and financial lanes.

"People have perceptions, but someday they are going to learn all it takes is one clean punch or one bad stylistic matchup and anyone can be beat," Gaethje said. "We all just saw Tim Elliott go in and nearly beat the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world in Demetrious Johnson. And that's what I love about this sport. You can be the best in the world on most days, but on that one day and that guy shows up and you don't it's all over."

As Gaethje's star continues to rise so goes the promotion for which he competes. WSOF has been on a push to bring bigger and bigger showcases, and WSOF 34 is undoubtedly the organization's most ambitious endeavor yet.

On New Year's Eve in New York City, WSOF will invade The Theatre at Madison Square Garden with a lineup that boasts four title tilts and puts the outfit's top talent on display. Gaethje is set to headline the monster billing.

Gaethje sees the NYE card as the perfect opportunity for him to take his career to the next level.

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"This is the showcase myself and this company have been building toward," Gaethje said. "I started early with this company and I believe both parties had high aspirations of what we could become. Things have happened fast and for me to be headlining this huge show in NYC is perfect. It's definitely where I wanted to be.

"It's a perfect situation for World Series as well. This is a huge card, and I'm sure there are going to be a lot of eyes. It's on the biggest stage, and I think it's going to be great."

While the hard-hitting champion was initially slated to face Joao Zeferino in the main event at WSOF 34, there has been a change of opponent in the final weeks leading up to the bout. Luiz Firmino has been tapped to step in and face Gaethje in the main event, but none of this potential turbulence has served to rattle the lightweight king.

Gaethje takes a narrow scope when it comes to the fight game and for good reason. Every step he takes needs to be successful for the next opportunity to materialize and getting ahead of oneself serves no positive purpose.

That mindset is the only one Gaethje employs, and is what allows him to block out talk of champion versus champion super fights and other low-probability matchups down the road.

"The contract I signed is five fights, and it doesn't matter what weight those fights happen at. I get paid the same amount," Gaethje said. "I'm the champion of the lightweight division, and there is plenty of competition there for me right now. I'm going to keep fighting the guys in my weight class.

"This sport doesn't provide a lot of stability and that makes it important to do what is best for yourself. It may sound cliche but taking things one fight at a time and one contract at a time is all you can really do because you can't be looking too far ahead because one loss here or there changes everything. That's why I keep my focus on the fight right in front of me and the one I have on Dec. 31 in New York City is a huge opportunity for me. I'm going to be ready."