The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight division is in disarray, with uncertainty surrounding who will challenge newly crowned champion Ilia Topuria next.
Topuria has made his preference clear: he wants Paddy Pimblett for his first title defense, fueled by their heated face-off (that wasn’t supposed to happen) at UFC 317 and a history of bad blood. However, even with this option on the table, the path forward remains unclear.
Several contenders are vying for the opportunity. No. 1 ranked Arman Tsarukyan is stuck in limbo, seemingly sidelined by the UFC after disrupting the UFC 311 main event. Meanwhile, ‘BMF’ champion Max Holloway has thrust himself into the Lightweight title picture by retiring Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 last weekend. Then there’s Justin Gaethje, who’s been vocal about wanting a title shot after defeating Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313.
A growing consensus suggests a fight between Gaethje and Pimblett to determine a clear No. 1 contender could be the way to go. However, Gaethje has repeatedly stated he’d rather retire than fight anyone other than the champion, a stance he recently doubled down on.
“Absolutely not,” Gaethje told ESPN when asked about facing Pimblett. “If that’s the route they want me to take, I don’t believe they need me anymore. I know that sounds petty, but I’m No. 3, I’m 3-1 in my last four.”
Gaethje’s frustration stems from what he perceives as an unfair matchmaking process.
“The champion was calling to fight me, but then he vacated, and they brought a new guy in and gave a guy that’s 2-2 [in his last four] the fight,” Gaethje said. “So if their algorithm and their math tell them to just use me until I get beat, then I’m really going to have to reevaluate what I’m doing here.”
“I’ve signed up for a merit-based system,” he concluded. “I live by that.”
There’s no doubt Gaethje has a strong case and would be a compelling challenger for Topuria—who wouldn’t want to see a Topuria vs. Gaethje slugfest? However, his threats to retire and comments like “they don’t need me anymore” could backfire.
UFC CEO Dana White has dismissed such talk as “wacky,” and the cold, hard truth is that the UFC doesn’t rely on any single fighter, and by giving the organization that leverage, Gaethje risks undermining his position in the company.
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This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
