Justin Gaethje might get the Dustin Poirier treatment from the UFC, as Islam Makhachev's next opponent still looms large, says MMA journalist
MMA journalist Mike Bohn believes the UFC may offer Justin Gaethje a lightweight title shot following his UFC 313 win over Rafael Fiziev. After a devastating knockout loss against Max Holloway at UFC 300, which raised questions about his future performances, Gaethje rebounded with a unanimous decision victory over Fiziev.
He is now in a similar situation as Dustin Poirier, who defeated Benoit Saint Denis after getting knocked out by Gaethje. With no available challenger, Poirier received the title against champion Islam Makhachev and presented a stiff challenge before losing by a fifth-round submission at UFC 302.
In a recent episode of the 'Bohnfire' podcast, Bohn suggested that Gaethje could be next in line for the title fight, given his potential as a challenger and his limited time in the sport. He explained:
"For some reason, I feel like Gaethje might get [the next lightweight title shot]. It's kind of like the Dustin Poirier thing, right? Like, the last chance. He's kind of 36 years old, so the timing may not work out for it again."
He added:
"All those other guys like Ilia Topuria, Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira, not so much, are younger. And their time will come. I think even if it's not next. So I could see Justin get it. That's probably the ingredient for the most exciting fight out of all three."
Check out Mike Bohn's comments below (13:05):
Justin Gaethje demands a lightweight title shot against Islam Makhachev
Justin Gaethje clearly expressed his desire for a title opportunity before Mike Bohn shared his perspective on the issue. After his UFC 313 win over Rafael Fiziev, Gaethje took to X to make his case for the lightweight title shot, tagging UFC CEO Dana White. In his post, Gaethje wrote:
"I won 3 out of my last 4, only losing in an exhibition fight. I have to fight for the belt. @danawhite I am ready."
Gaethje and Poirier are part of a group of MMA legends who never held the undisputed UFC title despite their elite game. With a potential Islam Makhachev showdown, Gaethje has a chance to achieve a rare accomplishment by winning the UFC title in the organization's lower weight classes while aged 35 years or older.