Justin Gaethje knows who his next UFC lightweight title opponent will be, but the timing remains in question.
Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) won the interim lightweight title by defeating Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January. He followed that up by successfully unifying the title when he badly battered and left Ilia Topuria on the stool on the White House lawn at UFC Freedom 250 in June.
Since Arman Tsarukyan violently stopped Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331, fans are eager to see that matchup as the next title fight. Gaethje knows Tsarukyan (24-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) deserves a title shot, but the champ hasn't decided whether to defend the title or retire.
"Everyone's like, 'You f*cking fight Arman,'" Gaethje said on the "Flagrant Podcast." "I don't know what
the f*ck – I have injuries I have to take care of. I haven't made a decision – but I am 37 years old. My first fight was in 2008. I've had 40 fights, including my amateur fights, so I don't know."
Both of Gaethje's title fights this year were MMA Junkie's Fight of the Month-winning wars that took their toll. Gaethje says he's still dealing with lingering injuries from his fight with Topuria. "The Highlight" was contemplating retirement before headlining the one-off spectacle in Washington DC, and he currently just wants time to think about his next move and make a decision after the holidays.
"It's not that I don't want to fight Arman, it really isn't," Gaethje said. "He's the next in line; if and when I defend this championship, that will be who I fight. I just don't know. Right now, I have a deep bruise in my knee. Still can't punch with my hand. We're three months removed from my last fight. I gave a lot of myself for this fight in January. In June, luckily I came out on top, but it cost me a lot, so I need to recover. I need to rest my brain because a lot of training went into those fights.
"I'm just going to enjoy being the champion for the rest of the year. I'm going to make a business decision and a life decision whenever the time comes."
Some online speculation suggests Gaethje is taking this stance as a negotiating tactic to squeeze more money from the UFC before accepting a fight against Tsarukyan. Gaethje was asked directly if he was posturing for a bigger payday, and he kept his answer concise.
"This has never been about money for me," Gaethje said. "It's about health."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Justin Gaethje reveals 'business decision' timeline for Arman Tsarukyan title fight
