Quick Answer
Justin Gaethje at Jiu Jitsu
- BJJ Belt · White belt
- Coach or Lineage · Trevor Wittman (head coach, striking). Grappling is self taught MMA specific work
- Our BJJ Rating · 4/10
- Last Updated · April 2026
Honestly, not much. Gaethje is a BJJ white belt with one of the best wrestling resumes in UFC history, and that tradeoff has defined his entire career. His grappling in the cage is about staying on his feet, stuffing takedowns, and preventing submissions, not hunting finishes. When he has been grappled by truly elite grapplers, he has lost.
What Belt Is Justin Gaethje in Jiu Jitsu
Justin Gaethje is a BJJ white belt. He has no formal Brazilian jiu jitsu progression and has never actively trained in a traditional gi BJJ program.
His grappling base is NCAA Division I wrestling, where he was an All-American at 157 pounds for Northern Colorado and a two time Arizona state high school champion before that. That is a world class wrestling pedigree. It is just not a jiu jitsu pedigree.
Gaethje’s Coach and Training Home
Gaethje’s head coach is Trevor Wittman, a boxing and striking specialist. The camp focuses on striking, conditioning and defensive wrestling rather than building out an offensive grappling game. Gaethje has publicly said he prefers to stay on his feet and make the fight a firefight.
That preference has produced the most exciting career in the lightweight division and a long list of post fight bonus cheques.
How Gaethje’s Grappling Shows Up in the Octagon
Gaethje’s takedown defence is excellent when he sets it up properly, anchored by his wrestling base. Against Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler he neutralised grappling threats and won on the feet. Against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 he kept the fight standing and claimed the interim lightweight title.
But two fights tell the other side of the story. Against Khabib Nurmagomedov he was triangled in the second round. Against Charles Oliveira he was submitted by rear naked choke in the first round. Both were full on grappling losses to specialists with higher level jiu jitsu than Gaethje could match.
Why Gaethje Has Not Progressed in BJJ
Most UFC champions pick up BJJ belts as a natural extension of MMA training. Gaethje has not, and his reasoning appears consistent. He fights in a style that requires constant striking development and defensive wrestling, and adding traditional gi jiu jitsu does not fit the build.
It is a legitimate specialist strategy. It also defines his ceiling against elite grapplers.
The Verdict on Justin Gaethje’s Jiu Jitsu
Gaethje is proof that you can get to the top of the UFC lightweight division without BJJ belts on the wall, as long as the rest of your game is transcendent. His jiu jitsu is functionally white belt level and his submission losses confirm it. Everything else about his fighting is a 10 out of 10.
Our rating, 4 out of 10. Elite wrestling and takedown defence, very limited offensive BJJ, known submission vulnerability against specialists.
Part of our ongoing series ranking the BJJ of every notable UFC fighter and BJJ practicing celebrity. See the full Fighter BJJ Profiles index.
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