After Justin Gaethje shocked the MMA world by stopping Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 to become the undisputed UFC lightweight champion, questions immediately surfaced about what would come next for the veteran contender. In the aftermath of the career-defining victory, Gaethje admitted that retirement had crossed his mind. However, he also revealed that he had promised his mother he would not make any emotional decisions regarding his future.
Considering the long and arduous road it took for ‘The Highlight’ to finally capture undisputed UFC gold, many fans believed the historic White House event could serve as the perfect ending to his Hall of Fame-worthy career. That no longer appears to be the case. Just one week removed from the biggest win of his career, Gaethje confirmed on The JRE MMA Show #181 that he has no plans to retire and intends to continue competing. With the lightweight division once again taking shape around its newly crowned champion, calls for a long-awaited rematch with Charles Oliveira are beginning to gain momentum.
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The rivalry dates back to UFC 274 in May 2022. Oliveira entered the event as the reigning lightweight champion but was stripped of the title after missing weight by just half a pound. The Brazilian has consistently maintained that he made weight the night before and has long questioned the accuracy of the commission’s scale. While Arizona native Gaethje successfully made weight and remained eligible to win the vacant title, Oliveira ultimately submitted him with a rear-naked choke in the first round.
Now holding the BMF title after a dominant victory over Max Holloway at UFC 326, Oliveira believes the time has come to run it back. Speaking with MMA Fighting, the Brazilian made his intentions clear. He said, “I made it very clear that I was waiting for the White House event to be over so we could figure out what the next step was. Now we know. The champion is Justin Gaethje, and I definitely want that fight. I definitely want to be next in line. And there’s nothing better than putting both belts on the line, the BMF title and the lightweight championship.”
Oliveira went on to explain why he believes the rematch carries significant meaning beyond championship stakes. He added, “I’m just waiting for a phone call. They know there’s a lot at stake in this fight. There’s everything that happened with the weigh-in, the fact that I fought in his backyard, and that my belt was taken from me there. There’s a lot of history behind this matchup. I have a lot of respect for him, just like I respect every opponent, but this fight has to happen. Like I posted, I’m just waiting for my phone to ring.”
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That said, it is becoming increasingly likely that Gaethje will not compete again in 2026 after enduring two physically demanding wars this year against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 and Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250. Further evidence emerged when California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster released the official medical suspensions from the White House event. Although Gaethje left the Octagon with the lightweight title around his waist, he did not escape the fight without significant damage.
The newly crowned champion reportedly absorbed considerable punishment to the body throughout the contest and was also dealing with a knee injury. As a result, Gaethje was handed a 180-day medical suspension unless he receives clearance for a potential right wrist injury and undergoes an MRI on his left knee to determine the extent of the damage suffered during the bout. With the champion potentially sidelined for an extended period, Oliveira has made it clear that he is willing to remain patient if it means securing another shot at undisputed lightweight gold in 2027.
He explained, “I was waiting for the White House event to happen so I could understand what the next step would be. I believe this week or next week, everything will start falling into place. I like to stay active. I like to keep fighting and making things happen. But if it’s for a title unification fight, and the chance to make history once again, then why not stay on the sidelines for a while, stay focused, and know exactly when the fight is going to happen? Right now, the timing is to wait and see what the UFC wants so we can move forward.”
While Gaethje has previously suggested that Arman Tsarukyan deserves the next title opportunity, largely due to his No. 2 ranking in the lightweight division and Gaethje’s reluctance to grant Topuria an immediate rematch, Oliveira’s renewed push for a championship bout has added another intriguing layer to the title picture. Oliveira lost the lightweight title on the scale before his UFC 274 clash with Gaethje and later fell short in his bid to reclaim the vacant championship against Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.
He rebounded with a victory over Beneil Dariush at UFC 289 but suffered a razor-close split-decision defeat to Tsarukyan at UFC 300. Oliveira then returned to the win column by defeating Michael Chandler at UFC 309 before suffering a devastating first-round knockout loss to Topuria at UFC 317. Since then, however, ‘Do Bronx’ has rebuilt his momentum impressively.
He earned back-to-back victories over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio and Max Holloway at UFC 326, the latter performance earning him the BMF title and placing him firmly back in the conversation for lightweight championship gold. With Gaethje recovering, Tsarukyan waiting in the wings, and Oliveira making his case for a rematch steeped in history and controversy, the UFC’s lightweight division once again finds itself loaded with compelling options at the top.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.