According to his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, Justin Gaethje is contemplating stepping away from mixed martial arts. Gaethje reportedly believes he should be next in line for a shot at the lightweight championship and is prepared to retire if that opportunity doesn`t materialize.
Gaethje`s frustration appears to stem from the recent announcement of the vacant lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria at UFC 317, feeling he was unfairly passed over. Abdelaziz highlighted Gaethje`s recent victory over Rafael Fiziev and his consistent willingness to take challenging fights for the promotion as reasons why he deserves the title contention.
Gaethje conveyed to his manager that he feels “disrespected” by the UFC. While he cherishes being a UFC fighter, he feels the organization hasn`t shown him the recognition he believes his contributions warrant.
Abdelaziz expressed optimism that the UFC will ultimately grant Gaethje the title shot he desires, but noted that the situation remains dependent on the outcome of the Oliveira vs. Topuria bout scheduled for UFC 317 on June 28th in Las Vegas.
