Does Justin Gaethje Deserve a Chance for the Lightweight Title?

The world of UFC is as competitive as it gets. In each fight, anything can happen and even the most untouchable fighter can be put on the canvas. Some fighters, however, have a consistent track record. One of them, Justin Gaethje, believes that he should be on the shortlist of contenders for the lightweight title in the near future. Gaethje is one of the names highlighted in the best Colorado sportsbooks, since he is from the Centennial State.

Still, does he really have an argument worthy of garnering a title shot? Does he even want a shot given his recent retirement threats?

Recent String of Fights

When looking at his last five fights, Gaethje certainly has something to say when it comes to a title shot. He is 3-2 in his last five fights, but that is deceptive. Sure, one of those losses came via submission at UFC 274 to lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. But that is where the blemishes end, according to Gaethje.

He defeated Rafael Fiziev twice by decision, once by majority and more recently via unanimous decision. Gaethje also knocked out the legendary Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 in a much-anticipated rematch.

The other blemish on Gaethje’s record is a loss to Max Holloway, one of the more memorable brawls in recent history. Gaethje took the fight on short notice and the two decided to slug it out in the final seconds, with Holloway catching Gaethje to score the KO.

Gaethje has commented on that fight, saying he doesn’t really count it as a loss on his official record. He calls the fight an exhibition, saying the UFC begged him to take the fight on short notice. He may have an argument that he could have won if he had more time to prepare for the bout.

Championship Pedigree

Another point in the case for a Justin Gaethje title shot is that he is a former champion in the UFC. Stepping in on short notice to face Tony Ferguson for the interim UFC lightweight championship, Gaethje wound up getting a stoppage in the fifth round to win the title.

Gaethje would earn Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night awards while also becoming the only fighter in the history of UFC to win at least one Fight Night bonus through his first seven appearances.

Unfortunately for Gaethje, his next fight would be a UFC lightweight championship unification bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov. At UFC 254, Gaethje lost via a triangle choke in the second round, his first loss via submission ever.

Gaethje would bounce back with an impressive win over former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler at UFC 268, earning him a shot at the vacant UFC lightweight championship against Oliveira. The latter missed weight and wasn’t eligible to win the title, but defeated Gaethje with a rear-naked choke in the first round.

Back on a Roll

After losing to Oliveira, Justin Gaethje has been hot. He had a Fight of the Night against Fiziev at UFC 286, winning via majority decision. In the Poirier match, classing for the “BMF” belt, Gaethje scored a knockout with a head kick to earn his fifth bonus for Performance of the Night.

Holloway would be next at UFC 300, taking the fight on short notice. He would lose in the last second of round five, earning Fight of the Night despite the loss. After being scheduled to face Dan Hooker at UFC 313, he would instead face Fiziev, defeating him via unanimous decision.

Ready to Retire?

Though Justin Gaethje has publicly said he believes he deserves a title shot, not everyone is hopeful. His manager, Ali Abdelaziz believes that he deserves a shot at Ilia Topuria, who recently defeated Oliveria to claim the lightweight title at UFC 317. Of course he’s not alone—Paddy Pimblett has called out Topuria very publicly.

During an appearance on Submission Radio, Abdelaziz said, “Justin Gaethje fights the winner. He’s won three of his last four, he saved the UFC two times. They need him, and he’s there. The guy did so much for the sport. If anyone said he doesn’t deserve it – [Gaethje] said, ‘If I’m not going to fight for the title, I’m just going to hang up my gloves.’”

Topuria got the nod for the title fight ahead of Gaethje even despite the fact that Topuria was jumping up in weight after vacating his own title.

With so many bonuses to his credit – Performance or Fight of the Night in 12 of 14 fights – he certainly has the chops to earn a fight. His willingness to take on short-notice fights against top names shouldn’t be ignored either.

Whether Gaethje gets that shot remains to be seen. Passing him over again may be enough for him to feel too disrespected to return. If that were to happen, the UFC would be losing out on one of its best fighters.

Main image credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire