Watch: How does this UFC star unwind before a big fight? By playing 18 at a renovated Colorado muni.
With just days remaining before a major fight, one Ultimate Fighting Championship star has found some much-needed relaxation and fun on a popular Colorado municipal golf course.
In a battle between two of the sport’s most exciting fighters, former title challengers Justin Gaethje (22-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and Michael Chandler (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will square off at UFC 268 on Nov. 6, a pay-per-view event that will take place at Madison Square Garden.
With explosive power and decorated wrestling backgrounds, Gaethje vs. Chandler is a match made in heaven for many MMA fans.
But Gaethje, a product of Arizona who learned mixed martial arts while attending the University of Northern Colorado on a wrestling scholarship, also has an affinity for the game of golf.
In fact, during this episode of “Embedded” (which follows featured fighters throughout fight week), Gaethje is seen razzing his buddies at the picturesque City Park Golf Course in Denver, Colorado.
“This is my favorite game, by far,” Gaethje said of golf. “And you can play it forever.”
Gaethje goes on to say he often plays on Sundays with a group of 16 at the muni course.
City Park was originally designed by Tom Bendelow and opened in 1913, but underwent an extensive redesign in recent years by Todd Schoeder, winning an American Society of Golf Course Architects Environmental Excellence Award in 2019.
As for this week’s fight, the top of the bill features two title-fight rematches. In the main event, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman 19-1 MMA, 14-0 UFC) runs it back with rival Colby Covington (16-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) looking to repeat his victory from December 2019. And in the co-headliner, strawweight champ Rose Namajunas (10-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and Zhang Weili (21-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) meet again after Namajunas won by knockout in their April title fight at UFC 261.
Check out Gaethje on the course in the video above. His segment starts 90 seconds into the video.
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Golfweek's Best Courses You Can Play: Colorado
