James Vick doesn't like Justin Gaethje.
Justin Gaethje doesn't like James Vick.
If it wasn't evident before their UFC lightweight showdown was announced earlier this summer, it was during the UFC's 25th anniversary news conference earlier this month where both fighters got their hands on the mics.
Gaethje: "You're welcome, James. Welcome to the big show. You get to fight in a main event."
Vick: "Thank you, man. That's your last main event. You're about to be on a three-fight losing streak and shipping your ass back to the B league to fight tomato cans again."
Gaethje: "And I'm still going to have more money in my bank account."
The smack talk continued. Vick called Gaethje the Homer Simpson of mixed martial arts.
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"The dude takes a beating," Vick said Thursday during the UFC's media event at the Cornhusker Marriott. "What's the episode where Homer gets the (crap) beat out of him? He looks like Gaethje."
If Saturday is as good as the back-and-forth on Twitter and in podcast and TV interviews, then Gaethje-Vick sets up to be a very entertaining fight.
The war of words between the two goes back nearly a year. Now both competitors are ready to fight each other for the first time. Gaethje, ranked seventh in the world, will meet Vick, ranked 10th, at UFC Fight Night on Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
There are 13 fights on the card, the first starting at 5:30 p.m. The main card, highlighted by Gaethje-Vick, will begin at 9 p.m. on FS1.
For Gaethje, it's an opportunity to get back on his feet. The 29-year-old has lost his past two fights, both against top-four fighters.
Known for his aggressive style and reputation for taking a lot of hits, Gaethje said he isn't fazed by Vick's comments.
"I'm a competitor and I've lost two in a row, so I don't need any extra motivation right," the former NCAA All-America wrestler from Northern Colorado said. "I need to go out there and prove to myself and prove to the world ... Eddie Alvarez and Dustin (Poirier), I can't say it enough, they're two of the best in the world in the lightweight division. I was right there. My life would be a lot different right now if I got those W's, but I did not and that's the way it goes."
For the 6-foot-3 Vick, Saturday's five-round bout is a chance to prove he deserves top-five fights in a 155-pound division that includes champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. Vick is 9-1 in the UFC, and Gaethje is his first top-10 opponent.
"I've worked my entire life to get here," said Vick, who stepped in to replace Al Iaquinta in this fight. "This is going to change my life Saturday night."
The 5-11 Gaethje, who is 1-2 in the UFC and 18-2 overall, has been known to put on quite a show in the octagon, receiving fight-of-night or performance-of-the-night bonuses in all three of his UFC bouts.
Gaethje was asked Thursday if he'd rather knock out Vick quickly or work a longer fight that's more likely to receive performance bonuses.
"I'll take the one-punch knockout," Gaethje said without hesitation. "I'll take my 50 grand (winner's cut)."
Gaethje said in an interview with Fox Sports earlier this week that Vick is not mentally prepared for this type of fight.
Vick thinks otherwise.
"Everybody in the top echelon of the UFC has heart," said Vick, a Texas native. "All of us have heart, why do you think we're here? So he's making a serious mistake if he believes that. He's also making a serious mistake if he thinks that I'm not ready for that war."
Saturday's card also features Michael Johnson vs. Andre Fili in a featherweight bout, Cortney Casey vs. Angela Hill in a women's strawweight clash and Nebraska native Jake Ellenberger vs. Bryan Barberena in a welterweight tilt.