For a proud American like Gaethje, it’s an honor that he can barely put into words.
“Indescribable,” he told UFC.com. “I mean, just think back of where I came (from, and) why I started. I was like, ‘This looks like so much fun. I want to try it,’ when I was in college. Then I won seven amateur fights, and I was like, ‘Well, I guess I’d better try to turn pro.’ And then I was in the UFC, and I’ve been part of the biggest fights in the UFC in the modern era. So, it’s special.”
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In addition to being named in the main event, Gaethje also got the chance to visit the White House and meet President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Unbeknownst to Gaethje at the time, the meeting was aired live on television, leaving his parents with the opportunity to surprise him with the news.
“Yeah, it was cool. I mean, coming from the middle of nowhere, it was really cool for my parents,” he said. “I had no idea we were live on TV. My mom called me. She’s like, ‘You sounded great!’ I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ She’s like, ‘Everything was online, or on TV.’ So, yeah, it’s the first time I’ve ever been on Fox News, you know? So, I made it!”