Concerns arose among fans regarding the physical condition of one participant in the interim lightweight championship bout.
Justin Gaethje’s patience seems to have paid off, as the popular lightweight is now set for a huge main event clash against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 on January 24.
Paddy Pimblett has been staying active in the lead-up to the fight, even taking part in a BJJ tournament not long before he faces the biggest test of his career.
Gaethje’s documentation of his preparations for the promotion’s Paramount+ debut has been ongoing, but a specific image he shared sparked concern among fans.
Justin Gaethje explains the photo from his recent training video ahead of UFC 324
There were a few moments in Justin Gaethje’s recent ‘Art of Violence’ video that got fans worried, including one where he appeared to narrowly avoid a serious injury. But it was a still image from the episode that really set off alarm bells online.
A mark on the former BMF champion’s neck led some to speculate about a possible staph infection, just weeks before his fight. If true, it would have been a major setback in his preparations.
However, after seeing the comments and posts circulating on social media, Gaethje stepped in to clear up any confusion.
One post pointed out two marks in particular, and Gaethje addressed both concerns directly in his response: “Did you screen shot me eating brisket from my YouTube video to make it look like I have herpes on my lip?
“My neck is a healing ingrown hair,” he also explained.
Doctor offers his take on Justin Gaethje staph speculation
When it comes to injuries in MMA, sports medicine doctor Brian Sutterer MD often brings a steady perspective.
He recently discussed the confusion over Alexandre Pantoja’s injury, which led to the Brazilian losing his flyweight title last month.
On social media, he responded to fans sharing screenshots from Gaethje’s training footage and questioning if it could be staph.
Sutterer addressed the growing chatter by saying: “Fight fans love freaking out about possible staph infections. If it is that, plenty of time for antibiotics, lesions heal over, all good to compete in a few weeks. Move on.”
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