Justin Gaethje is known for his relentless fighting style, a whirlwind of chaos inside the Octagon. But outside the cage, his life tells a different story. A tale of small-town roots, hard labor, and a bond forged in the Arizona sun.

Many fans wonder if there’s another Gaethje out there, a twin brother who shares his warrior spirit. The answer? Yes, Justin has a twin. But while ‘The Highlight’ made his name in MMA, his brother Marcus took a different path.

Who is Justin Gaethje’s twin brother? Is he also an MMA fighter?

Justin and Marcus Gaethje grew up side by side in the quiet town of Safford, Arizona. But while Justin pursued glory under the bright lights of the UFC, Marcus chose a more grounded life, working in the Morenci copper mine for nearly a decade.

In an interview with TMZ Sports in 2020, Marcus admitted he always knew his brother was an athlete. But fighting? That wasn’t always the plan. According to the UFC star’s brother, “He met one of those wrestling coaches that was kinda in the fight game and he brought some UFC fighters to the wrestling [gym] and I think that’s when he made the decision that he wanted to at least try fighting.”

While his brother Marcus didn’t choose the path of MMA himself, he is always in his brother’s corner, a testament to their bond. In a post on Instagram, Gaethje shared a picture of the two as kids with the caption, “Old school pic of my twin brother @mjgaethje and I. He has never trained MMA with me but he is in my corner every fight. I love to see how nervous he gets before we walk out.”

Before that, Gaethje’s combat experience was limited to backyard scraps with gloves on—hardly the stuff of world champions. In fact, his first dream had nothing to do with MMA. Justin wanted to play in the NFL. But size matters in football, and despite his tenacity, he just wasn’t big enough. 

Still, he never let go of his love for the sport. To this day, he’s a die-hard Raiders fan. Back in 2020, ahead of his title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov, he even joked that he’d bring the UFC belt to the Raiders’ stadium after winning!

How many siblings does Justin Gaethje have?

Justin Gaethje also has two sisters. In a post on his Instagram story in 2022, Gaethje shared, “So proud of my little sister @kenzi_jurado She had her pinning ceremony tonight and is now officially an RN.” He also has an older sister for whom he shared a picture of the family celebrating her 40th birthday on social media, as well.

The family has deep roots in the Morenci mines where his father Ray spent 36 years in the copper mines before retiring in 2019. His mother, Carolina, worked there briefly after high school. Even his grandfathers were miners.

So when Justin turned 18, it seemed natural for him to follow in their footsteps, if only for a short time. But it was in those mines that Justin faced a defining moment.

Two coworkers told him he’d be back. That college wouldn’t work out. That the mine was his only real future. In an interview with ESPN, Gaethje revealed, “That stuck with me for a long time. I said, ‘Absolutely not. That’s not gonna happen. If I come back, it’s because it will be my choice. I’m not gonna have to come back here because I failed.”

And so began the rise of ‘The Highlight’, one of the most lethal knockout artists in the UFC’s lightweight division.  From the depths of the Morenci mines to the bright lights of the Octagon, his journey is one of resilience, grit, and defiance against the odds.

Now, at UFC 313, Justin Gaethje is set to take on Rafael Fiziev. A short notice rematch due to Dan Hooker’s injury, this will be Gaethje’s return to action after a brutal loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300. Will ‘The Highlight’ bounce back and unleash his trademark ferocity inside the Octagon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!