Justin Gaethje's still got it! The 36-year-old lightweight cashed as a +130 underdog at UFC 313 on March 8, dropping his opponent Rafael Fiziev in Round 2 and cruising to a unanimous decision win.
After the bout, the media questioned Gaethje about what's next. He downplayed the notion of a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier, instead implying he's ripe for one last title shot. The UFC lightweight division has many key players, so let's explore what's next for Gaethje after UFC 313.
What's Next For Justin Gaethje After UFC 311?
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Arman Tsarukyan | +150 |
| Ilia Topuria | +200 |
| Charles Oliveira | +275 |
| Islam Makhachev | +450 |
| Dan Hooker | +550 |
Speculative odds
Gaethje could challenge any of these fellas for this next fight and, beyond Hooker, perhaps, nobody would bat an eye. I only downplay the Hooker matchup because I believe Gaethje's performance earned him an opportunity to fight up the rankings or welcome former featherweight champ Ilia Topuria to the division.
The Hooker re-booking would be a treat for fans but unfair to Gaethje, who endured yet another war vs Fiziev and should be rewarded for it.
The case for Gaethje vs Tsarukyan (+150)
This is my dream matchup, and the UFC would be wise to book it. White made it clear Tsarukyan must fight a title eliminator after his injury before UFC 311, so a matchup with Gaethje satisfies both needs. This way, Gaethje gets his fight upward, Tsarukyan proves himself, and the fans are very happy. A win, win, win. I'd say this is also the likeliest outcome for the next high-profile lightweight matchup as the promotion considers a Makhachev vs Topuria title fight.
I'd be very curious to see the odds for this fight. I imagine Arman is favored, but I'd lean Gaethje as a moderate underdog. Khabib Nurmagomedov and Fiziev are the only two fights to take Gaethje down, and Fiziev's takedowns were more fluke than anything and amounted to nothing.
The Case For Gaethje vs Topuria (+200)
If the UFC wants a fair but entertaining test for Topuria's 155-pound foray, Gaethje is the man. Topuria would be a solid favorite in this fight, and I'd take him to win, but man would this fight be fireworks. Both guys are thudding punchers with fair wrestling, which would undoubtedly lead to some very heavy exchanges.
For the sake of the sport, I'd prefer to see Topuria challenge Makhachev for the belt immediately, but this Gaethje matchup is a beautiful consolation. I think Gaethje would be game, too.
The Case for Gaethje vs Oliveira 2 (+275)
I'm less interested in this rematch, simply because I think Charles' grappling will get Gaethje in trouble again early. At UFC 274 in 2022, Gaethje bashed Oliveira, dropped him, but found himself on the mat in a nasty choke. While Oliveira was technically stripped of the belt for missing weight, he left no room for debate with the first-round submission win.
I'm not sure this matchup does much for either guy. Fans would tune in, but I'd prefer seeing either of these guys jumping right into a title picture rather than waste time killing each other in a non-title bout.
