MMA veteran Justin Gaethje revealed an unconventional approach to his match day routine ahead of UFC 324. The lightweight contender turned to artificial intelligence for guidance on whether to incorporate cold water immersion into his pre-competition schedule.
During an interview, Gaethje explained his consultation with ChatGPT earlier on the day of his bout.
“I wanted to sit in the cold tub, like what do you think about cold tub on competition day?” he recalled asking the AI assistant. The response he received was measured, essentially inquiring about his current physical state rather than providing a definitive answer.
When Gaethje confirmed he felt great, the AI’s guidance became more direct, advising him to trust in his preparation and physical conditioning without second-guessing himself. “It said just trust that your body’s gonna do what it needs to do when the time comes,” Gaethje recounted.
The consultation didn’t end there. Seeking optimal rest before his championship appearance, Gaethje asked ChatGPT about nap duration. While he initially wanted to rest for two hours, the AI recommended keeping it brief.
“Don’t sleep for more than 20 minutes, 20, 25 minutes and then wake up and remind yourself that you’ve done this a million times and tonight is just the loud part,” he shared, describing the response.
The advice appeared to resonate deeply with Gaethje, who admitted feeling nervous about the upcoming competition.
Gaethje’s interaction with ChatGPT is just the latest example of UFC stars openly embracing artificial intelligence as part of their professional lives.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones found himself at the center of that debate after announcing his retirement on social media.
Fans accused Jones of using ChatGPT to write his emotional farewell message, with one viral AI-detection screenshot claiming the post was “100% AI GPT.” The backlash was swift, with critics mocking Jones for allegedly outsourcing such a personal moment.
Couldn’t even put effort into his retirement speech. The most-half assed, lazy title reign in UFC history ends on a perfectly fitting note. https://t.co/8fJWrBabMm pic.twitter.com/smINFUMzoU
— Luca Fury (@LucaFury) June 22, 2025
Additionally, Cory Sandhagen openly admitted to using ChatGPT to help him generate trash talk ahead of his bout with Deiveson Figueiredo.
Calling himself “not much of a trash talker,” Sandhagen said he relied on modern technology to keep up with the verbal sparring expected during bout promotion. Even he seemed amused by how ruthless the AI-generated lines turned out as ChatGPT wrote: “Figueiredo fights like a guy who knows his prime ended the night [Brandon] Moreno took his soul.”
😂Cory Sandhagen uses ChatGPT to come up with trash talk lines because he’s not confident in his own skills
🎥 @corysandhagenx pic.twitter.com/F3Zd5Xzp25— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) April 28, 2025
Welterweight contender Belal Muhammad has gone even further, using ChatGPT to fire back at Ian Machado Garry during a recent online exchange. He posted an Instagram video where he read out AI-assisted response to hit back at Garry.
Muhammad said: “lan Garry out here trying to do Conor cosplay with Dollar Tree trash talk. Bro, your lines hit softer than your jab. You sound like a teenager who just discovered McGregor highlight reels.”
Fans enjoyed Muhammad’s AI-generated insults as comments like “10-7 ChatGPT” flooded social media.
