Justin Gaethje is earning appreciation from the combat sports world after his UFC championship victory at UFC Freedom 250. And the retired bodybuilder Flex Lewis also added himself to the list, reflecting on 'The Highlight's' journey to the top of his division.

Gaethje added more glory to the USA by claiming the UFC lightweight title in the main event of the UFC Freedom 250, an event organized on the White House's South Lawn to celebrate 250 years of America's independence. On June 16, Lewis celebrated Gaethje's victory with an Instagram post featuring his tussle with 'The Highlight' at the Celebrity Flag Football Championships.

"On the most historic nights in UFC history, what was already an incredible card, you turned up the heat, walked through h***, turned the tide, and became the undisputed @ufc Lightweight Champion of the world," The caption to his post read. "Pure heart. Pure violence. Pure Gaethje."

Lewis also took pride in the fact that the Celebrity Sweat team had beaten Gaethje's side in the outing featured in the snaps of his Instagram post.

"Not many people can say they beat Justin Gaethje," Lewis wrote. "Fortunately, a small team of savages do @celebritysweat football In the craziest game ever!"

While Flex took a humorous approach, he also recognized the hard work behind Gaethje's success. Ilia Topuria floored him with a flurry of body shots.

But Gaethje survived the following submission attempts to return stronger in the latter rounds and win the fight via a doctor's stoppage TKO. 'The Highlight's' jab became his money shot for the night, taking a massive toll on Topuria's vision due to the damage it caused around his eyes.

While multiple such factors eventually led Gaethje to the victory, its timing makes it even more special.

Justin Gaethje Earned the Undisputed Lightweight Championship at the Twilight of His Career

Needless to say, every UFC fighter enters the promotion to claim the undisputed title of their division one day. Gaethje entered the UFC in 2017 with a similar dream, but had always fallen short of the ultimate victory despite being one of the most talented fighters in the lightweight division.

'The Highlight' earned his shot at the undisputed lightweight gold for the first time by claiming the interim title with a victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 249. However, his story remained unfinished as he lost the undisputed title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254.

After a victory against Michael Chandler in his next outing, Gaethje earned his second title shot, but fell short once again as he lost to Charles Oliveira at UFC 274.

He refused to give up and claimed the interim lightweight title once more at UFC 324, ensuring a third shot at the undisputed championship. But at 37, the task of claiming the undisputed title from an undefeated Ilia Topuria seemed nearly impossible.

Startlingly, Gaethje rose against the odds and took the fight to Topuria right from the initial moments.

And with that, the Arizona native fulfilled his dream of becoming the king of his division at 37. Not many could've thought that Gaethje, who was talking about retiring before his UFC 324 fight, would claim the undisputed title a few months later, and this is what makes his story incredible.

What do you think of Flex's Instagram post for Gaethje? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Souvik Roy

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar