"It's all or nothing" - Justin Gaethje believes this is his last shot at UFC gold
Justin Gaethje has suggested that his upcoming undisputed UFC lightweight title matchup against reigning titleholder Charles Oliveira could be his last UFC title shot.
During a conversation with Kyle Forgeard and Bob Menery on the Full Send podcast, Gaethje opened up about the aforesaid possibility. Forgeard notably asked him if he views the Oliveira matchup as his last title shot. 'The Highlight' responded by stating:
“Yeah, this is definitely” Gaethje continued, “Yeah, barring any crazy circumstances. But yeah, this is – 33 [years of age], it’s been almost two years since I fought for it last time. And yeah, these don’t come often. You rarely get second chances, so this, yeah. It’s all or nothing.”
Kyle Forgeard then questioned ‘The Highlight’ whether he’d try to build his legacy as the UFC lightweight champion if he wins the title against Charles Oliveira at UFC 274. Justin Gaethje replied by saying:
“Yeah, I am. But, I mean, my legacy is about cemented. It is. I mean, I’ve got 23 wins, 19 knockouts. Nobody has that.” Gaethje added, “Out of my first, I think 8 [UFC] fights, I had 10 bonuses. That’s a record that will never be touched. I might have at least two fights in the [UFC] Hall of Fame that will be inducted in the Hall of Fame already. And so, I mean, this will be the icing on the cake.”
The belt is on the line between the best lightweights in the world 🌎
@CharlesDoBronxs vs @Justin_Gaethje
[ #UFC274 | Saturday | Live on ESPN+ PPV: ufc.ac/3KqADBS ] https://t.co/EGE9K6Xod6
Gaethje noted, however, that he “won’t kill” himself if he’s unable to win the title. ‘The Highlight’ secured the interim UFC lightweight title by defeating Tony Ferguson via fifth-round TKO at UFC 249 in May 2020.
Gaethje later fought then-UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in a title unifier at UFC 254 in October 2020 but lost via second-round submission. The UFC 274 matchup against 'Do Bronx' will be 'The Highlight's' second shot at the undisputed UFC lightweight belt.
Watch the Full Send Podcast episode featuring Justin Gaethje in the video below:
Justin Gaethje’s eerie warning to Charles Oliveira ahead of their UFC 274 fight
Ahead of his scheduled matchup against Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 274 on May 7th, Justin Gaethje declared that if Oliveira is unable to get him to the ground, he’ll beat him akin to how he battered Tony Ferguson in 2020.
️ Gaethje was a fight for the ages!
#UFC249Ferguson 🆚️ Gaethje was a fight for the ages!
Both man landed big shots, both men showed incredible heart...
But what a performance from Justin Gaethje. Incredible! 👏 #UFC249 https://t.co/fExg3gtMpF
The Gaethje-Ferguson matchup featured a truly spectacular performance by ‘The Highlight’. Ferguson, who sustained a significant amount of damage against Gaethje, hasn’t won a fight ever since.
Speaking to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole, he said:
"I think, yeah, he's gonna have to take it to the ground. If not, he's gonna look like Tony Ferguson. His face is gonna look like Tony Ferguson's."
Check out the full interview below: