Newly-crowned UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje was knocked out by Max Holloway and submitted by Charles Oliveira, so that would give either combatant a strong argument for a shot at Gaethje’s 155-pound title.
Or not.
According to “The Highlight,” defeating Ilia Topuria at UFC White House already avenged those losses, since “El Matador” finished both “Blessed” and “Do Bronx” in respective title fights.
So where does that leave Gaethje moving forward?
“It’s such a weird place to be in,” Gaethje
told CBS Sports. “There’s always been a champion, I’ve always had somebody to chase. Now, being the champion, it’s like I just have to retain and hold onto what I have. I’m not looking at specific opponents, I know the best in the world are gunning for me. So, that is the name of the game. I know that it’s going to be one of the best guys in the world.”
See list of the best guys in the world, a list that does not include Conor McGregor, by clicking here.
“Arman [Tsarukyan] was fighting Oliveira, now he’s fighting someone else, so there’s a couple of big fights that are going to determine who I’ll fight next,” Gaethje continued. “It would have been Oliveira or Holloway, but since Topuria beat them, I’m going to go ahead and justify it to myself like I got them back. So I guess McGregor. Fun to shut him up.”
I guess that’s one way to impress the “Notorious” ex-champion.
Unfortunately, McGregor will be out of action until 2027 after blowing out his knee at UFC 329 earlier this year in Las Vegas and I doubt matchmakers will want to put the title on ice for that long.
Arman to the rescue?
