Justin Gaethje is frustrated about being overlooked for the UFC 317 lightweight title fight, as Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria compete for the vacant belt, and he’s seeking assurance of a future title shot while considering whether to risk his contender status by fighting someone like Paddy Pimblett.
Justin Gaethje finds himself in a tricky spot regarding the UFC lightweight title. The main event at UFC 317 on June 28 will see a vacant 155-pound belt up for grabs, but Gaethje isn’t in the mix. Instead, Ilia Topuria faces former champ Charles Oliveira for the title left behind by Islam Makhachev. Topuria vacated his featherweight title to pursue this opportunity, while Makhachev is moving up to welterweight to take on the new champ, Jack Della Maddalena.
UFC broadcaster Jon Anik recently chatted with Gaethje and noted, “The Highlight” wasn’t thrilled about the UFC 317 headliner announcement. “He was pissed,” Anik revealed on The Anik & Florian Podcast. Gaethje feels overlooked in favor of Oliveira for the fight against Topuria. He and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, want assurance they’ll be next in line, given how soon the Topuria-Oliveira fight is happening.
Gaethje’s been making waves, with three wins in his last four fights. His latest victory at UFC 313 was a unanimous decision over Rafael Fiziev, bouncing back from a knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300. Before the Holloway defeat, Gaethje delivered a stunning head kick knockout against Dustin Poirier.
Meanwhile, Oliveira recently bested Michael Chandler for the second time. He was close to another title shot but was sidelined by an injury before a rematch with Makhachev, and later lost a split decision to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 289. Oliveira also holds a submission win over Gaethje from UFC 274.
Kenny Florian, Anik’s co-host, hopes Gaethje and Topuria face off eventually. “I think a fight between him and Topuria would be extremely interesting,” Florian commented. With Oliveira’s takedown game, he might avoid trading punches with Gaethje, but a Gaethje-Topuria clash promises fireworks.
Gaethje now faces a dilemma: wait for the UFC 317 winner or risk his contender spot to stay active. Rising star Paddy Pimblett has expressed interest in fighting Gaethje, but Anik questions if that’s the best move. “Straight meritocracy, Charles Oliveira has the higher ranking,” Anik said, noting both Gaethje and Oliveira present compelling matchups against Topuria.
The real question is whether Gaethje should take on Pimblett, who doesn’t advance his title chase. “What is your number, if you’re Justin Gaethje, to fight down in the rankings?” Anik pondered. A win over Pimblett might not bring Gaethje closer to his ultimate goal, and even a healthy victory could delay his title shot. Pimblett’s interest in the fight is evident, but Gaethje signing on might not be a sure thing.