Tag: Justin Gaethje

All Charles Olveira wants next is to fight for a UFC title belt ‘either way’

Former UFC champion Charles Oliveira isn’t sure how he fits into the suddenly crowded top of the 155-pound division, but he knows what he wants.

Former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] isn’t sure how he fits into the suddenly crowded top of the 155-pound division, but he knows he wants his next fight to be for a title belt.

“The division is very complicated,” Oliveira said in an interview with online sportsbook Oddspedia. “I think I deserve to be next in line, but I work for Zuffa. There is talk about Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Ilia Topuria. I’m just waiting on the call. I don’t know who is next. There is talk, but I just don’t know.”

The possibilities seem endless coming out of last week’s UFC 313 where [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] defeated Rafael Fiziev in another barnburner between the two. Afterward, Gaethje made his case for a shot at [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag], especially since he represents the only fresh matchup of the top three fighters officially ranked behind the reigning UFC champion. [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag], No.1, and No. 2 Oliveira have both been beaten by Makhachev before, although Tsarukyan lost out on his chance at a rematch in January by withdrawing from their UFC 311 title fight. No. 3 Gaethje is certainly also under consideration, but there’s a potential X-factor in [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag], who is vacating his featherweight title for a move to lightweight.

If Topuria doesn’t get an immediate title shot at 155 pounds, Oliveira wouldn’t mind welcoming him to the division.

“Whoever I get told to fight, I’m going to fight,” Oliveira said. “I have nothing but respect for Ilia Topuria, but this is lightweight. It’s the most difficult division you have ever seen, and I have power in my hands. I believe in my jiu-jitsu, but I believe that I could knock Illa Topuria out.”

A fight with Topuria, however, wouldn’t be for a UFC belt. And if it’s not a title-fight rematch with Makhachev that comes next, Oliveira prefers to run it back with Max Holloway for his BMF title belt.

“A fight against Max Holloway would be huge, and I’m confident that it would be me with my arm raised,” Oliveira said. “The first time we fought I had an injury that stopped me performing. We are both aggressive fighters, and I believe in the power in my hands, as well as my BJJ. There would be a lot of hype around the fight.

“I would be chasing the knockout, and the BMF means the toughest guy in the division, right? I want to show that I’m the toughest guy in the
division. When we speak about legacy, we speak about being the champion, but BMF is about being the toughest guy, and that’s what I consider myself to be in this division. I believe that I have shown that, and having the BMF belt is the only thing that is missing.”

Oliveira, who’s coming off an entertaining win over Michael Chandler last November, remains unclear as to what his future holds. But as long as he fights for a belt next, he’ll be happy.

“I want to fight for a title either way,” Oliveira said. “Now I’m just sitting waiting for the call.”

Islam Makhachev’s coach open to ‘perfect matchup’ Justin Gaethje next after UFC 313

Javier Mendez is not opposed to Justin Gaethje getting the next UFC lightweight title shot.

[autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag] is not opposed to [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] getting the next UFC lightweight title shot.

Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) called for a title shot after defeating Rafael Fiziev by unanimous decision in this past Saturday’s UFC 313 co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Considering that UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) is yet to fight Gaethje, Mendez doesn’t see why not. Ranked ahead of Gaethje are Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan, both whom Makhachev already beat.

UFC CEO Dana White also seemed to be open to the idea of a Gaethje title shot.

“Fantastic. Then it’s Justin Gaethje. We’ll focus on Justin Gaethje,” Mendez told Submission Radio. “That would be, ideally for us, the perfect matchup based on where his standing is and what he’s done. He’s a big, known guy and Islam hasn’t fought him, So he’s perfect.”

The other option for Makhachev is Ilia Topuria, who vacated his featherweight title for a move up to 155 pounds. Makhachev previously said he wasn’t interested in taking on another 145-pounder in Topuria, but Mendez says the champion will fight whoever the UFC offers,

“It’s not important to me,” Mendez said on who Makhachev fights next. “Let’s focus on whoever the UFC decides because I’m not even going to talk about something that’s not even there. What is there, is what Dana (White) talked about. So me, I’d rather focus on what Dana said.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.

Arman Tsarukyan slams Justin Gaethje’s UFC title shot request: ‘You have to go through me first’

Arman Tsarukyan thinks Justin Gaethje has no business fighting for the title after UFC 313.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] has no business fighting for the title after UFC 313.

Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) called for a title shot after defeating Rafael Fiziev by unanimous decision in this past Saturday’s co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC), who pulled out of his fight against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev just one day before UFC 311, was told by the promotion that he has to fight his way back to the title shot. He’s happy to settle things with Gaethje for the No. 1 contender spot.

“You barely got past #11 on short notice, and before that, you got sent to the shadow realm. If you really want to be the #1 contender and fight for the belt, you have to go through me first.”

Gaethje represents new blood for Makhachev, who’s having a hard time getting up for rematches. UFC CEO Dana White also seemed open to the idea of Gaethje potentially facing Makhachev next.

Standing in the way of Gaethje’s plan is newly minted lightweight Ilia Topuria, who opted to vacate his featherweight title for a move up. If Makhachev and Topuria do end up fighting, Tsarukyan has a hard time picking a winner.

“It’s a tough fight,” Tsarukyan told The Schmo. “Ilia, he is a better striker, good boxing. I don’t know – he’s never fought with guys who can wrestle very well like Islam, so we will see. It is a 50-50 fight.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.

Jon Anik: Justin Gaethje ‘absolutely’ should fight UFC champion Islam Makhachev next

UFC commentator Jon Anik vouches for Justin Gaethje getting the next lightweight title shot.

[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] vouches for [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] getting the next UFC lightweight title shot.

Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) returned to the win column when he defeated Rafael Fiziev by unanimous decision in Saturday’s UFC 303 co-main event.

With UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is seeking new blood, Gaethje threw his name in the hat for a title shot. Ranked ahead of him are Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira, both of whom Makhachev already beat.

“He absolutely should fight Islam Makhachev for the title,” Anik told Bloody Elbow. “I don’t know that he could’ve done more with this showcase, and sometimes decision wins could be better than finishes, and I think in this instance, had there been a quick knockout, I actually think this is more useful. Justin Gaethje is going to go in the Hall of Fame twice.”

The other looming option is Ilia Topuria, who vacated his UFC featherweight title for a move up to lightweight. However, Makhachev and his team want to see Topuria earn his opportunity first.

“It would seem to me, in a speculative way, that Ilia Topuria has the inside track to fight Islam Makhachev,” Anik said. “I don’t know if it’s a case of you’ve got to strike while the iron is hot or if there isn’t an obvious No. 1 contender because Arman Tsarukyan wasn’t able to make the walk. I wonder if Islam Makhachev is going to have any say in all of this, and I wonder if his history having defended his title twice against a featherweight in Alexander Volkanovski plays into this at all.

“Don’t you believe, right, that if Islam Makhachev is probed about this, he’s going to want to fight Justin Gaethje? I don’t know what the pay-per-view window says about Gaethje vs. Topuria. Charles Oliveira is worthy, as well. I think we can all agree there are three options: Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira. The nature of this win for Gaethje and the fact that we haven’t seen that fight, to me promotionally, I would go in that direction.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.

Video: Should Justin Gaethje get a title shot off his UFC 313 win?

Justin Gaethje wants a crack at the lightweight championship. How far is he after his UFC 313 win? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] is back in the win column and on the hunt for another crack at the UFC lightweight title.

Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) defeated Rafael Fiziev (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) this past Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 313 in Las Vegas, putting behind his scary KO loss to Max Holloway at last year’s UFC 300. After the bout, Gaethje made clear his intentions of wanting to fight for the belt once again and said confidently that he’s back in the mix.

Did Gaethje put himself back in title contention with his latest win? How is the title picture shaping up at 155 pounds?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and host “Gorgeous” George discuss Gaethje’s big win over Fiziev, and where this puts him in the top of the lightweight division.

Watch their discussion in the video above and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/8d_-xgG4Kfw

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Arman Tsarukyan lays out hope for next fight after UFC 313, welcomes three options

Arman Tsarukyan hopes to get the next shot at the UFC lightweight title, if not top contender fights with Justin Gaethje or Charles Olivera.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] is ready to go, looking to get back in the cage soon to take the title from champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] or prove he’s indeed the No. 1 contender in the division.

“My back is feeling good, and I’m ready,” Tsarukyan told The Schmo. “If they’re going to give me a fight in May or end of April, that would be great.”

Tsarukyan was supposed to fight for the UFC lightweight title Jan. 18. However, a day before the fight, Tsarukyan withdrew from the bout due to a back injury. Renato Moicano replaced him and lost to Makhachev at UFC 311.

After the event, UFC CEO Dana White said Tsarukyan had lost his chance and that his next fight wouldn’t be for the belt, despite being the No. 1 contender.

Tsarukyan would gladly take his title fight back should the UFC change its mind, but he also welcomes a top contender fight with [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] or [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag].

“I want to fight with contenders,” Tsarukyan said. “I want someone from top five like Gaethje or Oliveira. Gaethje wants to fight for the title, so it makes sense to fight with me because nobody is going to give him title fight. It’s not going to be fair that he’s going to get the title fight. So he’s got to beat me or Oliveira to get that title fight. There’s Ilia, too, but I think they’re going to give me Oliveira or Gaethje or maybe title fight.”

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Overreaction Time: UFC 313 Alex Pereira’s downfall?, Dana White holding back UFC?, more!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” covering Alex Pereira’s loss to Magomed Ankalaev, Dana White venturing into boxing, and more.

The time for overreacting is here!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” at noon ET/9 a.m. PT as host Simon Samano and MMA Junkie Radio host “Gorgeous” George Garcia debate these “overreactions” on the following topics in mixed martial arts:

  • UFC 313: [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] has only himself to blame for losing to [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag].
  • UFC 313: Alex Pereira will bounce back and win one more UFC championship.
  • No more BS: [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] MUST fight [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag], or his legacy will take a hit.
  • UFC 313: [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] getting the next title shot would be absurd.
  • [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] diving into boxing sucks for boxing.
  • The UFC product will keep suffering with Dana White in charge.

Watch the full episode in the video above.

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Ankalaev-Pereira UFC 313 recap, Dana White into boxing world, more

On the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” we react to Alex Pereira’s UFC 313 title loss, Dana White entering boxing, more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] is the new UFC light heavyweight champion. The Dagestani fighter dethroned superstar [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 313 in Las Vegas. Was the result surprising? Who should be next for Pereira and Ankalaev? We break it all down.
  • Outside the Ankalaev vs. Pereira main event, plenty went down at UFC 313. [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] rebounded from his UFC 300 KO loss by outpointing [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]; [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag] had a breakout performance, submitting [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag]; and plenty more. We react to some of the key results on the card outside the headlining championship fight.
  • There’s been big news in the boxing world. Last week, TKO Group, along with [autotag]Turki Alalshikh[/autotag] and UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag], announced a partnership to launch a new boxing promotion. Can they change the boxing model? Will they find success? We break it all down.
  • To finish off the show, we’ll do a live Q&A segment in which we’ll discuss the latest in the MMA world. Submit your question in the YouTube live chat during the stream, and we’ll answer the best submissions.

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Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Justin Gaethje after UFC 313 win?

Justin Gaethje still has title ambitions after his UFC 313 win. Does he have a path to another shot? We discuss and play matchmaker.

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] provided answers at UFC 313 to the questions about the state of his career after he was on the receiving end of arguably the greatest knockout in MMA history.

Nearly 11 months after he was flattened by Max Holloway at the buzzer in an all-time moment at UFC 300, Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) showed that result wasn’t a defining turning point for the worse when he returned to outgun Rafael Fiziev in the Fight of the Night on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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After the victory, Gaethje said he still has ambitions of claiming the undisputed lightweight championship and has eyes on a fight with Islam Makhachev.

Will he get it, though, or are Gaethje’s dreams of a title shot misguided?

Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Gaethje’s future after UFC 313.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.

Justin Gaethje not interested in Dustin Poirier trilogy, still aims for UFC lightweight title

Justin Gaethje discusses what’s next following his decision win over Rafael Fiziev at Saturday’s UFC 313.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] had his shot at the UFC lightweight title, but that doesn’t mean he’s done pursuing the belt.

Gaethje, who bounced back from his KO loss to Max Holloway this past Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 313, made it clear that he’s still chasing gold. The 36-year-old wants his shot at champion Islam Makhachev. He’s unsure his decision win over Rafael Fiziev will get him there, but it definitely helps his cause.

“I want to fight for the belt, obviously,” Gaethje said at the UFC 313 post-fight press conference when asked what’s next. “That’s a much different matchup than the one I just had. They tried to give me a doughnut. I took a bite, but I’ve got to get back to running if I’m going to fight Makahchev.”

Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) doesn’t know what makes sense for him next after UFC 313, but one thing is clear: No trilogy fight against [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag].

“No, I’ve stated many times that I don’t think that either one of our families deserve that,” Gaethje said. “We’re 1-1. I’m OK with it. If he’s OK with it, then no. I think we’re contenders, but if we beat other people. If I beat him, I don’t think either one of us would be considered a contender.”

Gaethje is 3-1 in his past four UFC outings, with two decision wins over Fiziev and a KO win over Poirier – which got him the UFC’s BMF title. His lone loss came to Holloway in the co-main event of UFC 300 last April. It was MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Year for 2024.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.