Justin Gaethje is still taking his break after a devastating knockout loss at UFC 300. In the meantime, he is keeping in touch with what is going on in the world’s largest MMA promotion. Referring to Dustin Poirier‘s title fight at UFC 302, the former interim lightweight champion had something interesting to say about the process of title contention in the UFC. Here is what happened:
Justin Gaethje recently did an interview with The Schmo. During their discussion, the latter brought up the upcoming showdown between Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira at UFC 309. He asked the former interim champion if either of the two would be worthwhile to fight for the title next, and Gaethje had an interesting reply.
I don’t know how the f*** this thing works. Dustin Poirier fought for the belt after I knocked him out. I think timing and circumstances are the biggest factor here… As a fighter in the UFC you have to not worry too much about what happens because we’ve learned, it’s unpredictable.
Justin Gaethje via The Schmo
Here, Gaethje was talking about Poirier’s lightweight title showdown against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302. ‘The Diamond’ got the fight after putting out Benoit Saint-Denis while coming off of a knockout loss to Gaethje. In their first encounter in 2018, Poirier won via knockout in the fourth round. However, Gaethje evened the score with a knockout of his own in their second fight at UFC 291.
As for ‘The Highlight’ himself, he last fought Max Holloway at UFC 300 in an intense showdown. Holloway, despite being ahead on the scorecards, delivered a final-second knockout securing Gaethje’s BMF title. Gaethje fought valiantly, but Holloway’s last-second hit sent Gaethje crashing to the canvas.
Justin Gaethje reveals timeline for UFC comeback; not interested in a trilogy showdown with Dustin Poirier
Justin Gaethje has acknowledged that a third fight against Dustin Poirier does make sense given their intense rivalry. Meanwhile, Poirier has been more cryptic, teasing the idea of a trilogy fight on social media. This reignited interest among fans, particularly since rumors have swirled about Poirier’s potential retirement.
However, despite this unfinished business, Gaethje expressed a surprising level of indifference towards the trilogy. During his interview with The Schmo, Gaethje downplayed the likelihood of facing Poirier again. He stated that while a trilogy would excite fans, he is “okay” with how things have played out so far.
He knocked me out, I knocked him out. I’m okay with that. I’m sure it’s a little bit more bitter for him since I was the last one to win but doesn’t matter.
Justin Gaethje via The Schmo
So when is ‘The Highlight’ stepping back into the octagon? Gaethje said that he intends to come back by the first quarter of 2025. He revealed that he has been working out and staying on his nutrition and cardio. After the devastating knockout by Holloway, Gaethje said March would be a good timeline for him to be confident in his recovery.
