Who Are Justin Gaethje’s Parents Carolina & John Ray Gaethje? All About the UFC Star’s Parent

The lightweight division in the UFC is perhaps the most stacked division in the entire promotion. There’s been a plethora of 115-pound legends, including former interim champion Justin Gaethje. ‘The Highlight’, as he’s called, has gained notoriety for being one of the most violent fighters ever, responsible for some of the brutal and action-packed encounters inside the Octagon.

The life of a combat sports fighter is a tough one, and the support behind them is crucial for their continuity and motivation. Justin Gaethje also has a great support system in the form of his parents, and as we get closer to his UFC 313 fight against Rafael Fiziev, let’s get to know the former BMF champ’s family.

Meet Justin Gaethje’s mother and father

The Arizona-born mixed martial artist was welcomed to this world by his mother Carolina and father John Ray Gaethje. Justin hailed all the sacrifices that his parents made over the years for the family. He dedicated all his success to his parents, in the UFC and otherwise. He declared that he was one of the lucky people who got the opportunity to repay whatever his parents had done for him and his siblings.

Coming from a very humble background, Gaethje wanted his mother to retire after his much-awaited fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254. “My parents have never flown international. They got to fly business class. They’ve never flown business class and my mum is going to retire after this,” Gaethje told BT Sport. “When this fight starts, when that bell rings at the beginning, then I will secure that she will retire after this fight.”

Gaethje got special permission from Dana White to let his parents accompany him to the Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. It definitely made sense for his parents to be there with him when The Highlight faced the best fighter in the world of MMA, at that point in time.

Gaethje has also dedicated his fighting style to his parents and this is what he said in his interview with

Sporting News. “They put me in wrestling when I was four. It’s their fault. They gave me two brothers and that didn’t help either.” UFC 254 didn’t quite turn out the way Gaethje’s mother and father would have hoped for, but when they attended his UFC 300 fight, it seemed like they couldn’t handle that loss.

Gaethje’s parents react to his UFC 300 knockout

The odds were stacked against Max Holloway, as concerns grew for the former featherweight champion’s well-being against Justin Gaethje because of his past failures as a lightweight. However, ‘Blessed’ proved everybody wrong and landed one of the most memorable knockouts to create one of the dramatic endings to a fight. Holloway put Gaethje to sleep at 4 mins and 59 seconds, which is as rare a moment as it comes.

Meanwhile, videos of Justin Gaethje’s parents surfaced online who were in the crowd during that fight. His father and mother were rooting for him to win, but when he dropped flat on the canvas, his father couldn’t believe it and seemed livid with the outcome of the fight. On the other hand, his mother seemed a little shocked and concerned for Justin’s well-being.

Well, Justin Gaethje has recovered well and is looking to make a statement against Rafael Fiziev. The former interim lightweight and BMF champion may have faced a few obstacles in his last couple of fights, but he’s determined to make his way to a title shot with the end slowly approaching for ‘The Highlight’. With all the support from his parents, it’ll be interesting to see how UFC 313 pans out for Gaethje.