Staff Reports
The UFC’s lightweight division, once a bastion of relentless wars and star power, is teetering on the edge of unprecedented drama. With Ilia Topuria firmly entrenched as the division’s champion after a stunning knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, the path forward should be clear. Yet, whispers of snubs, retirement ultimatums, and audacious multi-division conquests have turned the 155-pound landscape into a powder keg. At the center: a disgruntled Justin Gaethje, who feels robbed of his shot at gold, and Topuria himself, whose sights are set not on defending his belt but on pursuing a third championship against former lightweight king Islam Makhachev at welterweight.
Gaethje’s Case: A Veteran’s Claim to the Throne
Justin Gaethje, the iron-chinned brawler ranked No. 5 in the lightweight division, has long been the epitome of what makes UFC fights must-watch events. A former interim lightweight champion and BMF titleholder, Gaethje’s resume reads like a highlight reel of chaos: brutal knockouts, blood-soaked epics against the likes of Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler, and a willingness to step up on short notice that has saved cards and elevated the sport. His manager, Ali Abdelaziz, doesn’t mince words when laying out why “The Highlight” deserves the next crack at Topuria’s crown.
“Justin has done favors after favors for the UFC,” Abdelaziz told Submission Radio. “He’s the highest-ranked guy without a fight booked. What has Paddy [Pimblett] done? His streak is against guys who are 0-13 combined.” Gaethje’s claim isn’t just about rankings—it’s about legacy. Fighters above him, like Arman Tsarukyan (No. 1), just fought in a win over Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar. That leaves Gaethje as the logical next contender, especially with his track record of delivering pay-per-view gold.
But rumors swirl that Topuria’s first defense could go to Paddy Pimblett, the brash No. 6-ranked scouser whose heated exchange with Topuria at UFC 317 has UFC matchmakers salivating over the trash-talk potential. For Gaethje, that’s not just a snub—it’s a breaking point. Abdelaziz issued a stark warning: If Gaethje is forced into a grudge match with Pimblett instead of a title bout, “he will retire, and he will never fight again in the UFC. Justin Gaethje never breaks his word.” The threat hangs heavy, a reminder of how fragile even the most durable careers can be when respect feels withheld.
Gaethje’s frustration echoes a broader sentiment among lightweight veterans. After years of grinding through a shark tank of talent, the idea of being leapfrogged by a rising star like Pimblett—whose resume, while impressive, lacks the same championship pedigree—stings. As Abdelaziz put it, “The UFC is a business,” but for Gaethje, it’s personal. A title shot isn’t a reward; it’s the culmination of a career built on broken bones and unbroken will.
Topuria’s Audacious Ambition: Chasing Makhachev to Welterweight
While Gaethje fumes in the shadows, Ilia “El Matador” Topuria is scripting what could be the most ambitious chapter in UFC history. The Georgian-Spanish phenom, already a two-division conqueror after dethroning Alexander Volkanovski at featherweight and then storming lightweight to finish Oliveira, isn’t content with defending his 155-pound strap. In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, Topuria laid out his vision: a super-fight with Islam Makhachev after the Dagestani phenom captured the welterweight gold against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 on Nov. 15.
The stakes? A clash for Topuria’s third belt in as many divisions—a feat no fighter has achieved. “This will be one of the biggest fights in UFC history,” he added. “No one has ever fought for the belt in three weight categories before.”
Makhachev’s bold leap to 170 pounds, vacating the lightweight throne Topuria now occupies, has fueled this narrative. Topuria, who targeted Makhachev even before his lightweight ascension, sees the welterweight move as destiny’s call. He also floated a catchweight “Pound-for-Pound” title bout to sidestep the weight-class hurdle altogether if necessary.
“The fight I would really like to have is against Islam Makhachev in the third weight division,” Topuria revealed. “Maybe I’ll have a fight, and then in the summer there’s a date when they’ll let me move up a weight class so I can fight for the third belt. Or maybe they’ll create a new belt called the Pound-for-Pound title at a catchweight.” It’s vintage Topuria: confident, innovative, and unapologetically aimed at immortality.
Yet, this laser focus on Makhachev leaves the lightweight division in limbo. Topuria has even name-dropped Paddy Pimblett as a potential interim foe if welterweight dreams stall, admitting, “I have Paddy on my mind.” For Gaethje and other contenders, it’s salt in the wound—a champion more interested in historic chases than immediate defenses.
The Collision Course: Division in Disarray
The irony is palpable. Gaethje, the division’s most reliable warrior, threatens to walk away because Topuria won’t walk toward him. Meanwhile, Topuria’s pursuit of a third belt could redefine superfights but risks alienating the very ecosystem that propelled him to stardom. After Makhachev toppled Della Maddalena, expect the UFC to pull out all stops for a welterweight showdown—potentially headlining a 2026 White House event, as Topuria has teased. But if not? A Pimblett-Topuria banger might materialize, thrusting Gaethje’s retirement clock into overdrive.
Dana White and the UFC brass face a high-wire act: Balance the allure of Topuria’s empire-building with the loyalty owed to grizzled vets like Gaethje. One wrong move, and the lightweight division—UFC’s deepest and most electric—could lose its brightest spark. As Gaethje’s manager warned, retirement isn’t a bluff. And as Topuria plots his triple-crown assault, the question lingers: At what cost to the fighters fighting for scraps below?
In MMA, legacies are forged in the fire of opportunity. For Gaethje, that fire is flickering. For Topuria, it’s an inferno. The octagon awaits—who will step in first?
