Top Lightweight Competier Justin Gaethje left UFC 317 empty -handed.
The former BMF champion and interim title holder think that he owes a title chances after winning three of his last four fights, who came through for the company when they 'begged' to fight Max Holloway on UFC 300.
You could imagine how Gaethje responded to the news that he would not fight for the lightweight title, because Charles Oliveira received the title shot against Ilia Topuria during the International Fight Week of this year.
Under controlled by the title fight snub, Gaethje threatened to withdraw from the UFC if he did not get the winner of Topuria versus Oliveira on UFC 317.
Gaethje was present for the lightweight title fight in Las Vegas and the UFC veteran lost on more than one on Fight Night.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Justin Gaethje was the only competition that Ilia Topuria did not mention in his interview after the fight
After Topuria Oliveira had switched off in the opening round, the UFC placed cameras on three lightweight contenders Cageside: Arman Tsarukyan, Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett.
Topuria called Tsarukyan and said, “If it's time to deliver, his back hurts,” and shot a shot at the injury that pulled him out of a title against Islam Makhachev on UFC 311 earlier this year.
Joe Rogan also invited the #8-ranged Pimblett in the Achthoek for a viral face-off with Topuria where UFC CEO Dana White was not a fan.
Gaethje was unambiguously the strange man at UFC 317, where the champion did not report his name until later in the night when he was asked for a potential fight with Gaethje – it appears that Topuria is not so interested.
To make it worse for Gaethje, White told 'The highlight' to retire after hearing his title fight Ultimatum.
“The biggest loser tonight was Justin Gaethje,” wrote a fan on X after UFC 317.
“Never be a company man. Justin Gaethje has helped save UFC 300 and see how Dana treats him,” said another fan.
“Justin Gaethje is just there while putting Paddy in the cage … Being a company man, you really don't understand -, learned lessons,” another fan chimde inside.
Justin Gaethje can be on his way to retirement with everything that happened on UFC 317
If Ilia Topuria Face-Off with Paddy Pimblett were to be sufficiently interested in being the next lightweight title fight, we could possibly see Gaethje bending on 155 pounds.
Gaethje comes from an almost finish by top candidate Rafael Fiziev on UFC 313, after he successfully recovered from a devastating KO loss to Max Holloway on UFC 300 last year.
Before that, Gaethje Dustin Poirier had eliminated and had defeated Fiziev at a full training camp in 2023 to take himself in the lightweight title photo again.
With how White responded to Gaethje's pension culture at the press conference after the fight, there is absolutely no guarantee that Gaethje will be in line for Topuria, especially now Pimblett in Topuria's Crosshairs.
The feeling that he has 'owed' a title fight has sustained Gaethje that he will not fight unless it is for the belt, complicating things and possibly ending the legendary 31-Fight career of the 36-year-old.