Justin Gaethje Demands Title Shot After UFC 313
At UFC 313 on March 8th, Justin Gaethje notched an impressive victory over Rafael Fiziev. It was an important get-right bout for Gaethje after Max Holloway put him on the receiving end of the 2024 Knockout of the Year last April at UFC 300. In the rematch against Fiziev, Gaethje was able to repeat history in a fight that played out similarly to their first meeting. Fiziev came on strong from the opening bell, but his opponent was able to turn the tide and take rounds 2 and 3 for the unanimous decision. In the aftermath, Gaethje has argued his case for the chance to challenge Islam Makhachev for the undisputed championship. However, current #1 Contender Arman Tsarukyan responded with a harsh reality check.
Justin Gaethje Jockeys for Title
In the post-fight press conference after his recent win, Justin Gaethje expressed his wish for a title match and mused on the challenge that champion Islam Makhachev presents.
“I want to fight for the belt, obviously. It’s a much different matchup than I just had. I’ve gotta get back to running if I’m gonna fight Makhachev. He’s a tough matchup, he’s so good, so strong. I have to have a perfect night if I want to beat him.”
Then on March 11, the current #3 contender doubled down, this time opting to make his case directly to Dana White via a post on X.
His characterization of the devastating knockout loss to Max Holloway is rather dubious. Holloway has primarily competed at Featherweight, and the fight was for the sideshow BMF belt. However, if anything that theoretically put Max at a disadvantage, and the BMF being on the line is irrelevant.
Arman Tsarukyan Rebuffs Gaethje’s Goals
One day after Justin Gaethje pleaded his case on X, #1 Contender Arman Tsarukyan responded with a rejection of Gaethje’s revisionist history.
Tsarukyan was quick to correct the aspiring title challenger, noting:
“You barely got past #11 [Fiziev] on short notice, and before that, you got sent to the shadow realm.”
The allegation that Justin Gaethje “barely” beat Rafael Fiziev seems rather unfair. The last-minute stand-in took Round 1 on the strength of some surprise wrestling and his trademark sharp kickboxing. However, Gaethje proceeded to score the lone knockdown of the fight which nearly resulted in a TKO. He also out-landed Fiziev in significant strikes to the head at nearly a 3-1 clip. The decision was unanimous for a reason. It was clear to most any spectator that Justin Gaethje overcame the early adversity to handle Fiziev definitively.
Notwithstanding Arman’s disingenuous portrayal of the most recent fight, his description of what came before is beyond debate. Justin Gaethje suffered one of the most brutal knockouts in recent memory, after being thoroughly outclassed for 25 minutes.
All Roads to the Title Lead Through Tsarukyan?
Justin Gaethje is certainly in the title contention picture after his win, despite the setback against Holloway. However, as usual, the Lightweight title picture is crowded. It is probably the UFC’s most competitive division toward the top, with several dangerous fighters who all seem capable of beating each other on any given night.
At the moment, Arman Tsarukyan has recent history on his side, winning 9 of his last 10 fights including the last 4 consecutively. His last 2 wins were especially strong, over bona fide contenders Beneil Dariush and former champion Charles Oliveira. However, his recent withdrawal from a fight with Makhachev at the last minute has seemingly soured his relationship with Dana White, who intimated that he will have to put in more work to get another shot.
A Thorny Path Forward at Lightweight
Besides Arman, Charles Oliveira has a claim to a #1 Contender fight, having lost a close split decision to Tsarukyan last year. His only other loss in the past 7 years came at the hands of Islam Makhachev himself. UFC may not be keen to run those fights back; but in that long string of wins, Oliveira also submitted Justin Gaethje in the first round.
The aforementioned Max Holloway is another top-5 contender who has recently defeated Gaethje as discussed. After his loss to Ilia Topuria in a Featherweight title bout last year, Holloway announced his intention to make a permanent move to 155.
Speaking of the devil, Ilia Topuria himself is perhaps the biggest obstacle to the championship aspirations of all Lightweight contenders. His surprise vacation of the Featherweight title to move to Lightweight and pursue a superfight with Makhachev upended the organization last month. His immediate future in the division is unconfirmed. However, he wants to skip the line for an immediate title shot. At any rate, it stands to reason he would have at most one match to prove his mettle before he gets his wish. UFC is not in the habit of needlessly squandering big paydays. A Topuria vs Makhachev pay-per-view would generate massive revenue. We can expect them to fast-track the clash and minimize the risk of ruining the opportunity.
Regardless of what is next for Justin Gaethje, his win at UFC 313 was a welcome sight. A fan favorite and true fighter’s fighter, it was great to see him get back on the horse. Whoever he fights next, it’s sure to be a delight for combat sports fans worldwide, as always.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
