There’s no doubt that Justin Gaethje has been the star of the still-young UFC “Paramount Era.” First, Gaethje was the big winner of the first UFC event held on Paramount+ by defeating Paddy Pimblett in a wild brawl at UFC 324 to claim the interim lightweight championship. Then, Gaethje put a beating on Ilia Topuria to finally win the undisputed lightweight championship on the White House South Lawn.
Gaethje is amid the best year of his career as a pro as he enters his twilight.
But Gaethje turns 38 later this year and has put a tremendous amount of miles on his body through a career packed with legendary wars. While some speculated that Gaethje would retire after UFC Freedom 250, that speculation was based on the idea that Gaethje would fall to Topuria on the most unique stage in UFC history.
Prior to the bout with Pimblett, Gaethje had reported that he believed he would wrap up his career by 2027. After beating Topuria, Gaethje reported he planned on fighting again, as “there’s not something natural in me that feels like it’s over.”
After Pimblett defeated Benoit Saint Denis in under a minute in this past Saturday’s UFC 329 co-main event, some have wondered if a rematch with Gaethje could be in his future.
Gaethje blew off that idea during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, saying, “Destined for each other to fight again? No.”
While it now seems Gaethje will fight at least once more, who he could face is up in the air. One available option is Max Holloway, who defeated Conor McGregor in the UFC 329 main event after McGregor suffered a knee injury just seconds into the fight.
Holloway holds a famous victory over Gaethje, dominating him in a UFC 300 clash for the ceremonial “BMF” championship before scoring a now-iconic knockout in the literal last second of the fight. Gaethje would likely be interested in avenging that loss, while former featherweight champ Holloway would certainly be interested in adding a lightweight championship to his resume.
