Justin Gaethje is not a happy camper.
The onetime UFC interim lightweight champion feels his recent win over Rafael Fiziev in their rematch at UFC 313 in March should have secured him a title fight against then-champ Islam Makhachev. Instead, Makhachev vacated the title for a move to welterweight, and now former featherweight king Ilia Topuria faces Charles Oliveira to crown a new 155-pound champion in the main event of UFC 317 on June 28.
Gaethje’s win over Fiziev marked a successful return to the cage following a vicious knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April 2024—a bout Gaethje considers more of a gift for the fans and the UFC than one with official divisional stakes. The current decision-making has left Gaethje quite annoyed.
“They owe me a championship fight,” Gaethje said on The Makeshift Podcast. “I’m 3-1 in my last four. They came to my house begging me to fight Max Holloway at UFC 300. I consider that an exhibition fight.
“I don’t mean that the loss is not on my record, it had nothing to do with the rankings in my [division at the time]. In the time that I did that, Dustin Poirier, who I had just beat, got a good win over [Benoit] Saint Denis and then fought for the belt.
“Since [I beat Fiziev], [Makhachev] had been saying he wants to fight me. They could’ve easily set that up, but they didn’t. Then he vacates, and then Oliveira is 2-2 in his last [four fights], already has a loss to Makhachev, and they bring a brand new guy in. And I get f*cked again.
“So I’m not going to fight any of these motherf*ckers for fun unless they pay me so much more money. ... If I’m going to take a risky fight, if I lose, I’m going to be set up [financially], and if I win, I’m fighting for a belt — or I’m not doing it.”
Gaethje has competed for undisputed UFC gold on two different occasions, and was stopped both times by Khabib Nurmagomedov and Oliveira. “The Highlight” is one of the most action-packed fighters in UFC history and a true fan favorite that leaves it all on the line every time he steps foot in the octagon.
For now, he’ll watch Topuria and Oliveira battle for the vacant title, and hope he gets his chance, or be heavily compensated for a contender fight. Either way, Gaethje wants promises and respect before putting on another show in the cage.
“I’m the most consistent guy,” Gaethje explained. “I think anybody that’s ever performed for their company, and has been a consistent employee for their company gets a Christmas bonus, gets a thank you, gets a ‘Good f*cking job.’
“Nah, I’m done doing shit here. I love fighting for the UFC. I’d never want to fight somewhere else, but I’m not going to just throw my legacy away for anybody, really.”
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