Justin Gaethje won’t retire from MMA on the back of an all-time moment at UFC Freedom 250.
Immediately after Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) earned a fourth-round corner stoppage TKO against Ilia Topuria (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) at the White House this month to become undisputed lightweight champion, he admitted the idea of retirement has been lingering on his mind, but he promised his mother he wouldn’t make a rash decision one way or another.
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Less than a week after the event, Gaethje has sorted through his emotions and has come to the conclusion its not the appropriate time to hang up his gloves and exit the sport.
“Right now, I’m planning on (continuing fighting),” Gaethje said on “The JRE MMA Show” with Joe Rogan. “There’s not something natural in me that feels like it’s over. So that’s all I can say.”
Where Gaethje goes from here remains to be seen. He admitted Arman Tsarukyan is a worthy contender. Analysts have also floated the idea of a rematch with BMF champ Charles Oliveira, or perhaps even the winner of the UFC 329 headliner between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway on July 11, both of whom he has history with.
One option Gaethje absolutely won’t consider is an immediate rematch with Topuria, who he emphatically took the belt from and doesn’t see the validity in running it back without at least one fight in between.
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“No. He doesn’t get a rematch,” Gaethje said. “He can try, but he doesn’t get one. He quit on the stool. He quit twice. I stopped him twice. What else do I have to f*cking do? His next challenge can’t be me. He needs to fight Paddy (Pimblett) or someone like that.”
Regardless of which opponent gets the first crack at his belt, it seems Gaethje feels there’s some business to discuss with the UFC brass first. “The Highlight,” who has earned 17 bonuses in 16 UFC fights and has the most Fight of the Night honors in company history after UFC Freedom 250, has been vocal in the past about his contract situation with the company and desire to be compensated for his track record.
Gaethje once again went down that road in his conversation with Rogan, stating that he thinks he not only deserves greater purses going forward, but also some form of equity.
“I’m in a place where I deserve to be compensated for what I have done,” Gaethje said. “Not for what I’m going to do … UFC 300, UFC 324, and now this. Those are the biggest stages that the UFC needed somebody to do something phenomenal. And they picked me every single time, and I delivered. I wasn’t the main event of UFC 300, but co-main event, still stole the show even though I lost. And so I think I need to be compensated for what I’ve done. That’s where I’m at.
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“I’m talking about the UFC should make a company and give me equity in that company so I can build passive income like that.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC champ Justin Gaethje won’t retire, shuts down Ilia Topuria rematch
