Justin Gaethje insists that the UFC owes him a championship fight after stepping up to face Max Holloway at UFC 300 last April. Holloway won the bout with a last-second knockout to claim the BMF belt, but Gaethje believes the promotion promised more if he accepted that challenge. He argues the matchup did not reflect his ranking and thus should not have impacted his path toward a title opportunity.
In an interview on The Makeshift Project, Gaethje stated,
“They owe me a championship fight. I’m 3-1 [in my] last four. They came to my house begging me to fight Max Holloway on UFC 300. I consider it an exhibition fight. I don’t mean that the loss is not on my record. I mean it had nothing to do with the rankings of my; and in the time that I did that, Dustin Poirier, who I just beat, got a good win over [Benoit] Saint-Denis.”
He added that since Poirier fought for the belt after those wins and he himself had defeated Poirier, the champion had expressed interest in fighting him, but the UFC did not arrange it. Gaethje also criticized the current challengers, saying,
“Then he [Ilia Topuria] vacates and then Oliveira’s 2-2 in his last four, already has a loss to Makhachev… So I’m not gonna fight any of these motherf***ers for fun unless they pay me so much more money.”
Manager Warns Gaethje Could Retire If Denied Title Fight
Gaethje’s frustration appears so serious that his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently implied the fighter might retire if he does not get the next shot at the UFC lightweight title. Abdelaziz spoke on Submission Radio, explaining that Gaethje believes he deserves to fight the winner of the upcoming clash between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155-pound belt at UFC 317.
Abdelaziz shared a stark warning:
“If anyone said he doesn’t deserve it – he said, ‘If I’m not going to fight for the title, I’m just going to hang up my gloves.’”
Current Lightweight Division Landscape and Implications for Gaethje
The lightweight division is currently unsettled, with the belt vacant following vacated and recent losses within the top contenders. Oliveira’s recent uneven performance and Topuria’s status complicate the title picture. Gaethje’s resistance to fighting others in the division unless compensated more also highlights his uneasy position. While Gaethje holds an impressive recent record, UFC’s reluctance to immediately grant him a championship fight has created tension.
His stance suggests a potential crossroads in his career, where continued negotiation may determine whether he pursues further title ambitions or opts for retirement. The unfolding matchups at UFC 317 will likely influence his chances for that next title opportunity, shaping the lightweight hierarchy and Gaethje’s own future in the sport.