It seems that Justin Gaethje’s career in the UFC may be approaching its conclusion.<\/p>\n
Following Gaethje\u2019s statement that he would consider retiring if his upcoming fight wasn\u2019t for a title, his coach shared candid thoughts about the fighter\u2019s future ahead of UFC 324. At 37, “The Highlight” has already achieved a remarkable list of accomplishments that make him a clear Hall of Fame contender. The only milestone he has yet to reach is becoming an undisputed champion.<\/p>\n
Gaethje has eagerly awaited this chance after securing the interim lightweight title by defeating Paddy Pimblett. He views that victory as another significant achievement for one of the sport\u2019s legends in the division.<\/p>\n
Justin Gaethje expressed surprise at his performance against Paddy Pimblett, recognizing the threat posed by such a dangerous opponent. While Saturday\u2019s main event marked a major step up for “The Buddy,” Pimblett was still considered the favorite against the seasoned lightweight veteran. Dustin Poirier mentioned Pimblett’s first UFC loss following Poirier\u2019s retirement remarks slated for 2025. Poirier called the outcome \u201cone point behind the legend,\u201d prompting Gaethje to respond in a UFC interview. He believes the established stars in the division remain ahead of the rising fighters who have emerged recently.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re up by three points,\u201d Gaethje told UFC News. \u201cHe (Poirier) beat Beno\u00eet Saint-Denis, I beat (Rafael) Fiziev, and I just beat Paddy. So that\u2019s three points behind at present. (Ilia) Topuria beat Max (Holloway), so it could be 3-1, but I want to get revenge for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gaethje\u2019s 3-1 tally doesn\u2019t include some of the recent big-name victories by up-and-coming fighters, even though the veterans have also had their moments. Most notably, Ilia Topuria not only defeated Max Holloway in their latest matchup but also knocked out Charles Oliveira this year to claim the vacant lightweight title. Topuria\u2019s last three wins, all by knockout over Oliveira, Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski, have solidified his reputation as a formidable finisher. For Gaethje to exact revenge and halt his next opponent\u2019s unbeaten streak, he\u2019ll need to bring an extraordinary performance.<\/p>\n
Fan Take:<\/strong> This development is crucial for fight fans as it signals a potential turning point in the lightweight division, with Gaethje\u2019s legacy and future hanging in the balance. Watching a seasoned warrior like Gaethje face fresh, unstoppable talent highlights the ongoing evolution of the sport and the endless pursuit of greatness in MMA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It seems that Justin Gaethje’s career in the UFC may be approaching its conclusion. Following Gaethje\u2019s statement that he would consider retiring if his upcoming fight wasn\u2019t for a title, his coach shared candid thoughts about the fighter\u2019s future ahead of UFC 324. At 37, “The Highlight” has already achieved a remarkable list of accomplishments […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39182,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2443],"tags":[2444],"class_list":{"0":"post-39201","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fighting","8":"tag-fighting"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}