Justin Gaethje auctioning off fight kit from Tony Ferguson fight to raise money for sick cousin

UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje is auctioning off his fight kit and gloves from the Tony Ferguson fight to raise money for his sick cousin.

Gaethje took to his Instagram on Thursday to share a post about his cousin Jonathan, who needs specialized treatment. Gaethje’s family recently started a GoFundMe for Jonathan and now Gaethje is taking things a step further, as he is now auctioning off his fight kit and gloves from his fifth-round TKO win over Ferguson at UFC 249.

 

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***LINK IN BIO My cousin Jona needs our help. In 2014 my Aunt’s family discovered him suffering extreme malnourishment and abuse after his mother passed away in Ghana, Africa. They started taking care of him when he was 14 months old because there was no one else there for him. They fell in love with Jona and couldn’t imagine life without him. So they adopted him when he was 2 years old. The trauma from his infancy caused severe psychological damage resulting in him developing and being diagnosed with Reactive attachment disorder (RAD), Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder(DMDD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), & cognitive issues, and along with that he also suffers from autism and ADHD. Our family has attempted to get him help from therapy and treatment programs after repeated outbursts with him threatening to hurt himself, being violent towards others & animals, breaking objects and having to call for emergency services to help calm him; however, he remains suffering from these disabilities after coming back home from the hospital. After these outbursts, he acts as if everything is fine, and he cries and cries and he says he doesn’t know why he feels like this. And he wants to be happy. He just had his 8th birthday on June 17th, and we need to raise $144,000 (Specialized treatment for RAD costs $8,000 a month for 18 months) so that he can get the specialized treatment he really needs and deserves. Untreated RAD can lead to those diagnosed going to prison or on the streets and it causes higher suicide rates. Jonathan is such a bright light in our lives and to those who have gotten to know him, but these conditions cause him to act out of character in ways that are harmful to himself, his family, and his peers. We love Jonathan and really need your help to get him the treatment he needs so that he can be happy and not feel scared or stressed when someone shows him affection. So please consider donating. Anything helps. Jonathan deserves a chance before it’s too late. Thank you to all who foster or adopt children and show them unconditional love.

A post shared by Justin Gaethje 🇺🇸 (@justin_gaethje) on Aug 6, 2020 at 2:54pm PDT

 

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In addition to my last post I will also be auctioning off this fight worn stuff from UFC 249 (excluding the belt) to raise funds for my cousin Jonathan’s treatment. I will have more info on this soon.

A post shared by Justin Gaethje 🇺🇸 (@justin_gaethje) on Aug 6, 2020 at 3:12pm PDT

Justin Gaethje faces Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 in a UFC lightweight title unification bout. The fight is expected to take place on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.