UFC: Paddy Pimblett’s rumoured opponent Justin Gaethje provides major update on title picture
UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje has emphatically ruled himself out of a No 1 contender’s fight with Paddy Pimblett, again threatening to leave the promotion.
After Pimblett dominated Michael Chandler en route to a stoppage win in April, many fans were finally forced to accept the Liverpudlian as a top contender at 155lb. Then, in June, the Briton’s old rival Ilia Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira in rapid fashion to win the lightweight title.
Those factors could combine to set up a grudge match between Pimblett and Topuria for the belt, although the consensus is that a bout between “Paddy The Baddy” and Gaethje also makes sense.
However, Gaethje has now doubled down on a previous claim that he will not fight anyone other than the champion next, and that he could leave the UFC if he is not given a title shot.
When asked if he would face Pimblett next, the American told ESPN on Tuesday (22 July): “Absolutely not. If that’s the route that they want me to take, then I don’t believe that they need me anymore. You know what I mean?
“I know that sounds petty or whatever, but I’m No 3. I’m 3-1 in my last four, the champion was calling to fight me, they vacated. They bring a new guy in, and they give a guy that’s 2-2 the fight.”
Gaethje, 36, was referring to Islam Makhachev’s desire to fight him, before the Russian gave up the belt with an eye on a welterweight title shot. Topuria then stopped Oliveira (2-2 in his previous four bouts) to win the vacant strap.
“So if their algorithm and their math tells them just to use me until I get beat,” Gaethje continued, “then I’m going to have to really reevaluate what I’m doing here, because I signed up for a merit-based system.
“I have lived by that, and if they want to give Arman [Tsarukyan] the fight, which… Arman s*** the bed, had the fight; I had the fight, but I took another fight for them. He had the fight, but pulled out because his back hurt. Those are two different scenarios […] I’m going to be upset about that.”
Gaethje was referring to the possibility that Tsarukyan could be next for Topuria, despite the Armenian-Russian pulling out of a title shot against Makhachev in January. One day before that scheduled fight, Tsarukyan withdrew while citing a back injury. Meanwhile, Gaethje fought and beat Rafael Fiziev – for the second time – in March, despite Makhachev’s wish to face him.
Although Tsarukyan has a claim to a title shot, it was Pimblett who was brought into the cage to face off with Topuria after the latter won the lightweight gold.
“I knew that it was a mistake, I knew that it wasn’t the UFC’s doing,” Gaethje said. “I knew it was kind of just what was happening because of the environment with Joe [Rogan, UFC commentator] calling him in.
“I was obviously upset. My nephew was there with me, I walked out with both of my fingers in the air. At first, while [Topuria] was doing his interview, they were trying to put me and Arman in camera frame together – because I was trying to exit, he was right behind me, and they were filming him.
“And I kept moving to get out of the way so they could film him, and they kept readjusting and putting me in frame. I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ [A camera operator was] pointing at both of us two, saying he was trying to get us in a frame together. So, as Paddy and [Topuria] are in there, they’re trying to put me and Arman in a frame.
“And I was like: ‘F*** you, get that f*****g camera away from me. You f*****g wish that you were going to do this right now. Go f*** yourself.’”
Despite the pressure that Gaethje is putting on the UFC to give him a title fight, with the potential that the former interim champion leaves the promotion amid this episode, he has refused to retire from MMA.
“I don’t even want to entertain that conversation,” Gaethje said, “because like I said: I have all the desire to compete. If I felt that in any way, then I would be done here.
“I just want to – obviously, from a biased perspective – be recognised as the most consistent and one of the top guys in the world. I did what I did. How many more fights do I have to… If I fight fights where if they win they get a championship, and then I win and it’s still, ‘I’m maybe going to have to fight someone else,’ this is not the situation that I wanted to get myself in.
“And this is the situation I’m going to keep myself from. And that’s where we’re at.”
