Gaethje became undisputed
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight king who wins hugely Ilia Topuriaputting the last stool at
UFC Freedom 250 last June. With recent developments in the division, speculation is rife about his future.
UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje details injuries and weighs in on his fighting future
Arman Tsarukyan further strengthened his claim for a long-awaited title shot with a knockout victory Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331. While Gaethje admits Tsarukyan deserves the gold, he’s not sure how long he’ll continue to fight as he enters the twilight of his career.
“Everybody’s like, ‘You fight the hell with Armani…’ I don’t know what the hell,” Gaethje said on the “Flagrant” podcast. “I have injuries to take care of. I haven’t made a decision – but I’m 37 years old. My first fight was in 2008. I’ve had 40 fights, including amateur fights, so I don’t know… I don’t need to (fight again).”
Gaethje clarified that he does not want to avoid Tsarukyan (24-3). However, he notes that he has absorbed a lot of damage in the intervening title wars Paddy Pimblett in January, followed by an undisputed title win over Topuria in June. Gaethje revealed that he still has a severe bruise on his knee and his hands are too injured to punch. The UFC lightweight champion wants to enjoy the rest of the year before making a decision about his career.
“It’s not that I don’t want to fight Armani; I really don’t,” Gaethje added. “He’s next in line; if and when I defend that title, that’s who I’m going to fight. I just don’t know. Right now I’ve got a deep bruise on my knee. I still can’t punch my hand. We’re three months out from my last fight. I gave a lot in January for this fight. In June, luckily, I came out on top in June, but I need a lot of brain training because I have a lot of recovery to do. I’m just enjoying being the champion for the rest of the year, and I will whenever the time comes.
