Justin Gaethje missed the best finish of UFC 331 even though he was watching the broadcast. As Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy started their co-main event fight, the lightweight champion’s phone buzzed. By the time Gaethje looked back at the screen, the fight was already over.
He didn’t miss it because of a bathroom break or social media. It was the President of the United States on the other end of the line, and the two ended up talking while a potential future title challenger closed the show with a highlight-reel elbow.
Justin Gaethje Explains the Call That Made Him Miss Tsarukyan’s Finish
The co-main event at UFC 331 was a No. 1 contender bout. Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy fought to determine the next challenger for the lightweight champion. Gaethje won the undisputed belt in June by stopping Ilia Topuria, leaving the rest of the 155-pound division scrambling for a shot at his title.
Gaethje was unable to scout his future opponent because an unexpected phone call from Donald Trump, who was with golfer Bryson DeChambeau, interrupted his plans. The lightweight champion shared the whole story during his recent appearance on the One Night With Steiny podcast.
“It was kind of crazy,” Gaethje said. “So as soon as the bell rang, my phone rang. I looked down, and it’s Donald Trump calling me… So I answered the phone and we talked for like four minutes. So I missed the entire first round, and then I look up and I’m like, ‘How did his eye get f— up?’ And then he got knocked out.”
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While Gaethje was on the phone, Tsarukyan won the fight. Ruffy started strong by landing a hard punch that caused heavy swelling under Tsarukyan’s left eye. He also stopped all of Tsarukyan’s early takedown attempts.
However, the momentum changed in the final seconds of the round. Tsarukyan hit Ruffy with a powerful standing elbow against the cage, knocking him out cold with only four seconds left on the clock. The finish was so quick that former champion Alexander Volkanovski, who was in Ruffy’s corner, looked completely shocked.
Gaethje won the lightweight title in June by stopping Ilia Topuria in the fourth round at UFC Freedom 250, which took place on the White House South Lawn. The victory led to a face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump and a later visit to the Oval Office. Since then, Gaethje has maintained a good relationship with Trump.
The champion has also praised Trump for supporting the UFC during the sport’s difficult years in the 1990s. Still, Trump’s phone call this time came at the worst possible moment.
Justin Gaethje Weighs Retirement vs. Arman Tsarukyan Title Defense
Despite holding the lightweight title, Gaethje admits he is considering retirement rather than rushing into a title defense against Tsarukyan. At 37 years old and with 40 fights under his belt since 2008, Gaethje feels he has nothing left to prove in the sport.
“Everyone’s saying to fight Arman Tsarukyan. I haven’t made a decision,” Gaethje said on the Flagrant podcast. “I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have my faculties. I want to keep my faculties.”
Gaethje has been clear that his primary focus is long-term health rather than a paycheck. However, if he does decide to keep fighting, he openly admits that Tsarukyan is the rightful next challenger.
“Arman just had a huge fight, a huge win,” Gaethje acknowledged while talking with Steiny. “He’s clearly the next contender. We would be fighting at some point next year.”
Whether that fight happens depends entirely on Gaethje’s upcoming lifestyle and business decisions as he rests for the remainder of the year. Moreover, the door also remains open for an immediate rematch with Ilia Topuria following the former champion’s shocking accusations that Gaethje tampered with his gloves.
