Justin Gaethje said he will have some serious decisions to make if he’s left out of the UFC lightweight title picture and pushed toward Paddy Pimblett next.
Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) is stumping hard to be the next to challenge newly crowned 155-pound titleholder Ilia Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) next and “El Matador” knocked out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June to capture the vacant belt.
With three wins in his past four fights, with the lone exception being his famous knockout loss to Max Holloway in their BMF title fight at UFC 300, Gaethje thinks his track record and reliability makes him the top candidate for Topuria’s first title defense.
Gaethje acknowledges that Holloway, who just beat Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 this past Saturday, and Arman Tsarukyan should also be in the running. However, he thinks he should be the selection.
“I’ve been talking a lot, saying what I feel I deserve, what I want – but ultimately I think it’s such a timing thing when it comes down to who is going to fight Ilia next,” Gaethje told ESPN. “I think I’m one of three, with Max having a big win. It’s me, Arman or Max I would assume that has to fight him, if he’s going to fight this year. If he’s not going to fight this year then who knows what’s going to happen. But for me, I’ve said my piece and now I need to train and work out and all these guys are really good.
“I hope it’s Ilia, I hope it’s November and I hope it’s in Madison Square Garden. That’s what I’m planning for and trying to speak into existence, but you never know with the UFC and I can only worry about what I can control, and that’s how ready I’ll be for my next fight.”
Following Topuria’s win over Oliveira at UFC 317, he was passive about the idea of facing Gaethje next and noted it would be unfair matchmaking. Prior to the event, Topuria said a logical title eliminator would be Gaethje against Paddy Pimblett, and Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) agreed with that notion. But then he beat Oliveira and Pimblett was brought into the octagon for a faceoff with Topuria, putting momentum between those two longtime rivals.
Although UFC CEO Dana White said afterward that Pimblett entering the octagon for the staredown was a promotional misstep, he didn’t articulate any clear plans for Topuria’s first defense.
Gaethje, 36, said if the UFC goes another direction with Topuria and then tries to book him against Pimblett, he might have to reconsider his place in the organization.
“Absolutely not (fighting Pimblett),” Gaethje said. “If that’s the route that they want me to take, then I don’t believe that they need me anymore. I know that sounds petty or whatever, but I’m No. 3, I’m 3-1 in my last four, the champion (Islam Makhachev) was calling to fight me and he vacated. They bring a new guy in and give a guy who is 2-2 the fight. If their algorithm and their match tells them to just use me until I get beat, then I’m going to have to really reevaluate what I’m doing here.
“I’ve signed up for a merit-based system. I have lived by that. If they want to give Arman, which Arman had the fight, then I had the fight and I took someone else. He had the fight and pulled out. Those are two different scenarios. For me to get put in the same position and fight for my spot, then I’m going to be upset about that.”
Ultimately, Gaethje said he’s one to focus on the positive. He is thinking about the ideal outcome for his own career, and that would be getting the title shot against Topuria before the 2025 calendar closes out, then go into 2026 with the desire to rematch Holloway at the UFC White House card and cap his own career in epic fashion.
Best case scenario, best chapter of my book, if it happens I will believe this is a simulation, but I beat Topuria this year, defend it against Holloway on the White House lawn, then retire with the BMF and the championship belts,” Gaethje said. “There’s no better way for me to write it. But I’m a little bias.”
