Justin Gaethje finds himself in an uncertain position regarding the UFC lightweight championship.
A new champion for the 155-pound division will be crowned at UFC 317 on June 28, as Ilia Topuria faces former champion Charles Oliveira for the belt recently vacated by Islam Makhachev. Topuria vacated his featherweight title to pursue a second divisional championship, while Makhachev is reportedly moving up to challenge welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena.
According to UFC commentator Jon Anik, who spoke with Gaethje recently, “The Highlight” was visibly upset upon learning about the planned main event for UFC 317.
Anik stated on his podcast, “He was pissed. He feels like certainly he was passed over in favor of Charles Oliveira for this opportunity against Ilia Topuria.” Anik added that Gaethje and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, are seeking assurance that Gaethje will be next in line for the winner. Given that the fight is less than six weeks away, Anik believes this request is reasonable. He highlighted Gaethje`s recent activities, including his win over Rafael Fiziev, fighting at UFC 300 to support the promotion (where he suffered a knockout loss to Max Holloway), and his overall standing in the division. Anik suggested it wouldn`t be surprising if Gaethje receives some form of guarantee for the next title shot, concluding, “But I can just tell you Justin was not thrilled.”
Gaethje, a former interim champion, has won three of his last four contests. His most recent outing was a unanimous decision victory over Rafael Fiziev. Prior to his loss against Max Holloway at UFC 300, Gaethje secured a striking knockout win over Dustin Poirier.
Charles Oliveira`s recent path includes a loss to Arman Tsarukyan and a past submission victory over Gaethje at UFC 274. He was scheduled for a rematch with Islam Makhachev that was canceled due to injury.
Anik`s co-host, Kenny Florian, expressed hope for a future clash between Gaethje and Topuria. Florian remarked, “I’m sure Gaethje’s upset, but I think that a fight between him and Topuria would be extremely interesting.” While acknowledging Oliveira`s grappling threat, Florian sees a Gaethje vs. Topuria matchup as “guaranteed fireworks” with both fighters likely to engage in striking exchanges. He believes this fight will happen eventually.
The immediate challenge for Gaethje is whether to wait for the outcome of the UFC 317 main event or risk his contender status by taking another fight to stay active. Rising lightweight Paddy Pimblett has expressed interest in facing Gaethje, but Anik questions the strategic wisdom of such a fight for “The Highlight.”
Anik commented on the rankings, noting that Charles Oliveira holds a higher rank than Gaethje and is a former champion, giving him a strong case for the title shot. However, Anik feels both men present compelling matchups for Ilia Topuria. With Islam Makhachev`s apparent move up in weight, the lightweight title picture is open. Anik addressed the potential Gaethje vs. Pimblett fight, questioning Gaethje`s motivation to face a lower-ranked opponent when he is on the verge of the undisputed title, the one major prize missing from his career. Anik argued that a win over Pimblett wouldn`t significantly advance Gaethje towards the title, and taking the fight carries the risk of injury, causing further delays. He expressed doubt that Gaethje would easily agree to a fight against Pimblett.
Marcus Blakely