Justin Gaethje is set to fight for the UFC interim lightweight title against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 on January 24th. It’s a title fight that has a lot of controversy attached to it because it doesn’t include the true No. 1 contender at 155: Arman Tsarukyan. But Gaethje isn’t bothered by all the drama.
In a new interview with Submission Radio, Gaethje — already a former interim lightweight champion — explained how the belt is just a tool to help him get where he wants to go at the end of his career.
“You know, on paper, this makes you a champion,” he said of the interim title. “They have to pay you as a champion. I think that is spectacular, and I definitely recognize that. Outside that, I understand that it gives me the opportunity to fight Ilia Topuria … So these are the opportunities that I really signed up for this sport for, that I asked for.”
“I’d be a fool to think that this is the beginning of my career,” Gaethje said. “This is definitely towards the end. And what a way to finish: beat Paddy, beat Ilia, and then if there’s another contender, beat them and be done. Ultimately, to [have] failed [to win the undisputed belt] and have the opportunity to come back and achieve gold will be exactly the story that I’ve been trying to write. I’ve been trying to inspire people.”
At this point the overwhelming emotion being shared online is disdain for the UFC’s booking practice. Even though most of that was leveled at Paddy Pimblett, Gaethje felt it as well.
“I felt just as much hate for me as I did for [Paddy],” he said. “If you’re an Arman fan, you obviously feel slighted, and I understand that. But this is such a crazy game, and timing is everything. I beat Dustin Poirier, and then he ended up fighting for a belt after that. This is just a crazy game.”
“And if you sign up for this game, you have to understand that there’s so many variables that you do not control, and ultimately, you just have to be ready for each one of these nights when they show up.”
As for Arman Tsarukyan’s offer to train Gaethje for Pimblett, “The Highlight” won’t be accepting.
“Yeah, I saw that,” Gaethje said. “I would say that was more of him trying to go against Paddy rather than help me. I’m not gonna go and start making drastic changes in my training camps when it comes to getting ready for these fights. I trust the team that I have. I will bring in training partners. But I’m not gonna bring in guys that I’m probably and possibly gonna fight in the future.”
“I think he’d be a great training partner, but ultimately, I might have to fight him one day. So I think that’d be not smart.”
