Justin Gaethje is ready to walk away from MMA.
In March, Gaethje got back in the winner’s circle with a unanimous decision victory over Rafael Fiziev in the co-main event of UFC 313. Originally, Gaethje was supposed to fight Dan Hooker in a bout with serious title implications, but a Hooker injury led to Gaethje accepting the short-notice replacement. Unfortunately, “The Highlight” wasn’t rewarded for playing the good company soldier. When lightweight champion Islam Makhachev vacated his title a few months later, Gaethje was passed over for the vacant title fight. Instead, Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria will square off for the belt at UFC 317, and that has left Gaethje feeling hard done by, at least so says his manager Ali Abdelaziz.
“Justin Gaethje fights the winner,” Abdelaziz told Submission Radio. “He’s won three of his last four, he saved the UFC two times. They needed him, and he’s there. The guy did so much for the sport. 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.’”
Widely regarded as one of the most exciting fighters of all time, Gaethje has been one of the most reliable action fighters in the UFC since joining the company in 2017. In 14 UFC fights, he’s won 14 post-fight bonuses and been part of an outrageous four Fight of the Year winners, including his 2024 loss to Max Holloway for the “BMF” title at UFC 300. Despite all he’s done, that loss has Gaethje on the outside looking in at UFC 317.
“He’s a very principled guy,” Abdelaziz said. “I never—he feels strongly about this. He told me this yesterday. I was at the fight, he said, ‘I’m not going to get a title shot. I feel disrespected. I love being a UFC fighter, I love the UFC, but I feel the UFC has to love me back.’ And he doesn’t feel the love right now.
“But listen, at the end of the day, I think, this guy, they love him. I think they will give him what he wanted. But at the end of the day, we have to see what happens first between Charles and Ilia.”
UFC 317 takes place June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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