If Charles
Oliveira is indeed next for reigning lightweight champion
Islam
Makhachev, Justin
Gaethje is willing to sit on the sidelines.
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Gaethje’s 2023 campaign has included victories over Rafael
Fiziev and Dustin
Poirier, so he believes he has done the necessary work to
receive his third UFC lightweight title shot.
“Who do I fight?” Gaethje told
ESPN. “There’s no one. I did what I had to do. … I don’t know
what else I need to do.”
Oliveira was supposed to face Makhachev at UFC 294 before a cut
forced him out of the fight. Instead, the Dagestani lightweight
retained his belt with a first-round knockout of Alexander
Volkanovski in the short-notice main event. Afterward, UFC CEO
Dana White indicated that Oliveira would get his promised rematch
against Makhachev next.
If that means Gaethje won’t fight until late 2024, that’s fine by
him.
“If they want to put Oliveira in there, then I fight him in
September [or next October],” Gaethje said. … “I have no issues
waiting. Again, as I get older I get to understand from now until
the time I’m gonna fight him I’m gonna be building strength, I’m
gonna be working on my cardio, I’m gonna be refining my skills. So,
I’ll take as much time as they give me and I’ll be that much more
ready.”
The 34-year-old Gaethje has twice come up short in title bouts. He
suffered a second-round submission defeat to Khabib
Nurmagomedov in his first opportunity at UFC 254, and then he
was submitted by Oliveira in the opening stanza in his second bid
at UFC 274.