Justin Gaethje suspects that following his shocking last-second knockout defeat to Max Holloway at UFC 300, the UFC considered phasing him out of the company. He believes the organization intended to match him against increasingly challenging, hungry opponents, hoping for a string of losses that would lead to his retirement.
After the loss to Holloway, Gaethje took an extended break of nearly a year before making a successful return against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313. He then went on to dominate Paddy Pimblett over five rounds at UFC 324 to claim the interim lightweight title for a second time.
Gaethje is now set to face the reigning UFC lightweight champion, Ilia Topuria, on June 14.
Gaethje’s Perspective on UFC’s Strategy Post-Holloway Loss
In a recent interview with Grind City Media, Gaethje expressed his belief that the UFC’s strategy after his loss to Holloway was to “get rid of him.” He elaborated that the organization likely saw him as a valuable asset but aimed to test him against emerging, motivated fighters, hoping to engineer his exit from the sport.
“I’ve had two wins since [the loss to Holloway], it’s been awesome,” Gaethje stated. “I mean, they’ve tried to get rid of me. They don’t wanna get rid of me, I’m a great fighter for the company. I’ve held off these young up-and-comers, f*cking, these guys are so hungry. Paddy was so hungry, Fiziev is so hungry.”
Gaethje has previously indicated that a knockout loss to Topuria on June 14 could lead to his retirement. However, if he defeats “El Matador,” he aims to defend his title at least twice before considering stepping away from fighting.
