News Justin Gaethje awaiting the 'right fight' as UFC lightweight division sorts out: Ali says

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As the upper echelon of the UFC lightweight picture sorts itself out, Justin Gaethje is awaiting the right fight.

According to his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, negotiations between Gaethje (22-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and the promotion haven’t hit a wall. It’s all about the timing, which for now, means waiting for the best potential opportunity to present itself.

“I don’t think it’s business (issues) right now,” Abdelaziz said. “I think I just have to get the right fight. I see a lot of people calling him out. You can’t just be away from the lightweight division for six years and come back and try to fight the No. 2 guy. You have to earn it.”

Abdelaziz backs Gaethje as the best active lightweight in the world at the moment. With that declaration, however, Abdelaziz understands why the UFC decided to forgo a discussed Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler matchup in order to pin the latter against Charles Oliveira for vacant 155-pound title gold May 15 at UFC 262.

“Listen, Justin was supposed to fight Michael Chandler,” Abdelaziz said. “That was the talk. We found out Chandler (was) fighting Oliveira, and I get it. The UFC wants a champion who never lost to Khabib (Nurmagomedov). If a guy who lost to Khabib becomes the champion … you need more time to make people forget about Khabib, right? They made the move, and I get it.”

Chandler wasn’t the only opponent name discussed as Gaethje’s next opponent. Conor McGregor’s name also came up, but the matchup didn’t materialize. Regardless of who Gaethje faces next, Abdelaziz likes his chances.

“It was never 100 percent he was fighting Mike Chandler, but it was mentioned,” Abdelaziz said. “It was mentioned (Conor) McGregor, too. I know Conor would never fight Justin because I think Justin stylistically is the worst matchup. I truly believe Justin Gaethje will be the UFC champion.”

Gaethje, 32, most recently competed in a title challenge against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 252 in September. He was submitted in Round 2. Prior to the loss, Gaethje won four straight fights against James Vick, Edson Barboza, Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson en route to his title shot. All five of Gaethje’s promotional victories have been finishes.

https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021...ight-awaiting-division-sort-out-ali-abdelaziz
 
Gaethje vs RDA makes sense

It's also a stylistically favourable matchup for him
 
Gaethje fights the loser of Chandler/Oliver

Winner of Ferguson/Daruish fights the loser of McGregor/Poirer

Winner of McGregor/Poirier fights Winner of Chandler/Olivera for the belt
 
Gaethje vs RDA makes sense

It's also a stylistically favourable matchup for him

I'd like to see that fight get made too but it seems like I bet Ali is having none of it, the six years is wrong but I think that's who he was referring to in this quote:

“I think I just have to get the right fight. I see a lot of people calling him out. You can’t just be away from the lightweight division for six years and come back and try to fight the No. 2 guy. You have to earn it.”
 
RDA is asking him to send him the fight contract, idk what Gaethje is waiting for. It's the most sensible match up at the moment. There's this upcoming guy named Islam Makhachev who wants to fight RDA too, and I think Gaethje would much prefer fighting RDA than him coz I think the Khabib fight still haunts him.
 
RDA is asking him to send him the fight contract, idk what Gaethje is waiting for. It's the most sensible match up at the moment. There's this upcoming guy named Islam Makhachev who wants to fight RDA too, and I think Gaethje would much prefer fighting RDA than him coz I think the Khabib fight still haunts him.

They are both Ali managed, I think Ali would like to keep his fighters away from each other unless it's for a title like Khabib / Gaethje and Cejudo / Moraes were. Would be bad management of Gaethje's career to throw him in with Islam next anyways, and Islam shouldn't shoot to the top of the division so fast anyways. Someone like Al Iaquinta, Kevin Lee or Dan Hooker would be the perfect next opponent for Islam imo.
 
Justin has been one of the most exciting dynamic improved fighters in ufc history you guys saying he can’t sit out a few months to get a matchup he definitely deserves?
What matchup does he deserve then? Because i don't think he deserves a titleshot. And sitting out waiting for these fights to pan out is always a gamble. Who knows what type of injuries the fighters will come out of it? Deserve got nothing to do with it atm. The timing is just bad.

If anything he deserves to fight while he's still in his prime.
 
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I'd like to see that....

“I think I just have to get the right fight. I see a lot of people calling him out. You can’t just be away from the lightweight division for six years and come back and try to fight the No. 2 guy. You have to earn it.”

I like Gaethje as a fighter, but this sounds like an excuse to me. That's a bit of a 'duck' right there. RDA is a former undisputed LW champion and has been a LW for the most part of his career, and had the most success at LW than any division he has fought. And tbh it's nothing compared to what Justin has done at the LW division so far. He's coming from a loss too and RDA already has a ranked win at LW.
 
They are both Ali managed, I think Ali would like to keep his fighters away from each other unless it's for a title like Khabib / Gaethje and Cejudo / Moraes were. Would be bad management of Gaethje's career to throw him in with Islam next anyways, and Islam shouldn't shoot to the top of the division so fast anyways. Someone like Al Iaquinta, Kevin Lee or Dan Hooker would be the perfect next opponent for Islam imo.

I see. I just wonder why RDA seems to have no problems with it, but Gaethje does.
 
Justin has been one of the most exciting dynamic improved fighters in ufc history you guys saying he can’t sit out a few months to get a matchup he definitely deserves?

It doesn't benefit Justin to sit out. Everyone needs a dance partner, and UFC holds all the cards. If you play hard to get, you'll end up like Leon Edwards. Sat out for over a year. Now he's back fighting gatekeepers and not a step closer to getting a title shot than he was after beating RDA in 2019.

Its a shitty deal but fighters need to understand that until they have a union, they don't have any leverage against the UFC. Under the current business model, stars can come and go and the company will still plug along. Don't wanna fight? No skin off their knees, the UFC can just give the fight to the next guy who is twice as hungry. Look at the recent Jones drama. While he is bitching about pay, Black Beast is waiting in the wings and can be slotted in at any moment.

This is business. You don't get to decide what you "deserve". Gotta get that kind of self-entitled sentiment out of the way if you want to make serious coin.
 
say Olivera wins the belt, who is a guy outside the top 15 who you would confidently feel would beat him in the octagon? I know rankings don't mean that much, but for the sake of this question i have though of it for every division.
 
He wants a money fight. He deserves it.
 
It doesn't benefit Justin to sit out. Everyone needs a dance partner, and UFC holds all the cards. If you play hard to get, you'll end up like Leon Edwards. Sat out for over a year. Now he's back fighting gatekeepers and not a step closer to getting a title shot than he was after beating RDA in 2019.

Its a shitty deal but fighters need to understand that until they have a union, they don't have any leverage against the UFC. Under the current business model, stars can come and go and the company will still plug along. Don't wanna fight? No skin off their knees, the UFC can just give the fight to the next guy who is twice as hungry. Look at the recent Jones drama. While he is bitching about pay, Black Beast is waiting in the wings and can be slotted in at any moment.

This is business. You don't get to decide what you "deserve". Gotta get that kind of self-entitled sentiment out of the way if you want to make serious coin.
I think JG is making plenty of coin lol it’s not like he’s a chronic cherry picker. dude goes out there and puts on some of the most memorable fights in the modern era. It’s not entitlement when it’s something he’s clearly earned, imo. He never said he’s waiting for a title shot he had a fight he thought he was going to get that fell through in chandler and it’s only been 6 months. He’ll be in there before a year and if any single person has earned that break it’s him. Justin deserves an elite opponent. Hopefully Conor really does duck the Dustin fight and we can see Dustin Justin 2 for the title eliminator.
 
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