UFC fighter Justin Gaethje has ruled out a potential lightweight title shot in June, stating that he needs time to recover after each fight, and is currently focused on his upcoming fight with Max Holloway at UFC 300.
Justin Gaethje knows the deal. Every time he steps into the UFC octagon, he’s not the same man when he steps out.
Being the reigning “BMF” champ, he’s got doubts. Can he really fight Max Holloway at UFC 300 and then be ready for a potential lightweight title shot as early as June? Seems unlikely.
Rumors have been buzzing. Lightweight king Islam Makhachev might be back in the game by early summer. But Gaethje? He’s ruled himself out, regardless of how Saturday night turns out.
“I don’t play what ifs,” Gaethje stated at the UFC 300 media day. He’s not one to pass up a championship opportunity. But June? Probably impossible.
Every fight, for him, is a life-altering experience. He needs time to recover, physically and mentally. But he’s got a team. Coaches, a manager. They call the shots. If they say fight, he fights.
Gaethje’s opponents have likened fighting him to surviving a car crash. You might win, but you won’t walk away unscathed. He holds himself to that same brutal standard.
He’s a “quarter-mile at a time” kinda guy. Doesn’t look too far ahead. Doesn’t know what the future holds. Doesn’t even plan on being alive the day after his fights. “So hopefully, I’m there on Sunday.”
His fight with Holloway? It’s gonna be tough. Holloway’s never been knocked out or finished by strikes. Even in a five-round fight with knockout artist Dustin Poirier back in 2019, Holloway never backed down.
Gaethje’s got a plan, though. He’s hoping to test Holloway’s chin at UFC 300. And if he could be the first to put the Hawaiian down? That’d mean a lot.
There are still some unknowns. Holloway’s been bulking up, preparing to fight at lightweight. But he’s insisted that his speed won’t be compromised. That could be a major weapon against Gaethje.
But Gaethje’s ready. Ready to test the waters. Ready to find out if Holloway’s punches are hard enough to make him cautious.
He thinks this fight will be different from Holloway’s bout with Poirier. Holloway’s had a whole camp this time, maintaining his weight. Gaethje believes Holloway will be as big and as strong as him.
If Gaethje comes out on top on Saturday, a title shot could be in his future. But he’s not getting lost in those details. His only priority? Getting through Holloway.
“I know with a win here, I fight for the belt,” Gaethje said. “I know with a loss here, that all goes away. That’s what I’m fighting for.”
There’ll be two contenders after this fight night. The winner of Tsarukyan-Oliveira and the winner of Holloway-Gaethje. Gaethje believes Makhachev will fight at least twice this year, and he thinks they’ll both get a shot at him.