Gaethje, who faces Pimblett for the interim lightweight title at the T-Mobile Arena, says the hands-on nature of wrestling compensated for his bad eyesight because it eliminated worries about distance management.
“That’s why I’m so good at fighting on the inside because I always had to touch them to know where I was at to punch them,” said Gaethje.
“It was a distance thing. I was short-sighted in one eye and long-sighted in the other so I used to punch the middle one.”
He continued: “That’s the skill I had to work on the most and where I fought them the most. I could always see them but it was understanding distance.
“If I close one eye, they’d be 5ft away and if I close the other they would be right in my face. That was the biggest thing to overcome.”
Former interim champion Gaethje, who last fought in March with a decision win over Rafael Fiziev, says life has been “awesome” after fixing his eyes but credits nose surgery in 2022 as equally beneficial.
Following defeat by Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title, Gaethje had an operation to repair his septum, which had been damaged 13 years prior during his wrestling career.
“It was awesome being able to taste my food again. Those years were something else – I couldn’t see, taste or smell,” says Gaethje.
“Every experience I’ve had has shaped me and made me the person I am so I’m thankful for all of it.”