Justin Gaethje’s fighting future is uncertain.
That’s an unusual statement to make about an active UFC champion, but it makes sense in the case of “The Highlight.” Gaethje has always been upfront about the fact that he doesn’t intend to fight forever. Gaethje brings a fairly unique intensity and level of aggression to ever fight, which has made him both a fan favorite and one of the most consistent bonus-winners in UFC history.
It also comes at a cost, of course. Gaethje lives or dies by the sword
and has been in countless brawls dating back to his World Series of Fighting (WSOF) days. A professional since 2011, 37-year-old Gaethje is deeply considering retirement, even as fan fervor swells to finally see an Arman Tsarukyan title shot after his vicious stoppage of Mauricio Ruffy (watch here).
“Everyone is like, ‘You f—king fight Arman!’ I don’t know what the fight — I have injuries I have to take care of. I haven’t made a decision,” Gaethje told Andrew Schulz (via MMA Fighting). “But I am 37 years old. My first fight was 2008. I’ve had 40 fights, including my amateur fights. So I don’t know. Who knows? I don’t need to. This has never been about money for me. It’s about health …”
Gaethje continued later on, “I do not feel like I have anything left to prove. My first fight was in ‘08. I’m 37 years old. But I know that I also just performed better than I’ve ever performed, so I’m stuck in between a rock and a hard place. I have my faculties. I want to keep my faculties.”
Ultimately, Gaethje has a lot of leverage as a popular champion known for incredible fights. Potential matchups versus Tsarukyan or Ilia Topuria would create massive events, the kind that produce significant paydays for Gaethje. There are serious pros and cons to consider in fighting again, and Gaethje will continue to weigh his options from the sidelines — he’s been clear he’s not fighting again in 2026.
Gaethje concluded, “I’m going to enjoy being champion the rest of the year. I’m going to make a business decision and a life decision whenever the time comes.”
