Perhaps Justin Gaethje is willing to stick around for some big fights.
Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) likely cemented his status as a UFC Hall of Famer when he claimed undisputed lightweight gold by stunning Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June. “The Highlight” pondered retirement, but it didn’t take long for him to walk back that thought – even though the likes of Georges St-Pierre are encouraging him to.
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Lightweight contenders, such as Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, are all options for Gaethje’s next fight, but are they what he’s looking for?
“(In) 2027 we will see Justin Gaethje fighting,” Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. “He fought two times this year. He deserves the time off. He’s still the lightweight champion, undisputed, and I think all these guys have to chase him. But he wants to be in a big fight – a big, big fight. What is the big fight? Who decides that? It’s Dana White who decides what’s the biggest fight they can make.”
From the WSOF title to the BMF belt to now UFC lightweight champion, Abdelaziz said his longtime client has done it all.
“If he retired today, I will be so happy because he did everything,” Abdelaziz said. “And if he wants to choose to fight one more time, he can fight one more time because nobody tells him what to do. He’s the boss. At the end of the day, it just has to be a massive fight.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Manager: UFC champ Justin Gaethje won’t retire, wants ‘massive fights’ only
