Justin Gaethje has positioned himself to be the next in line for a lightweight title show. When and where is still to be determined, says UFC president Dana White said.
Refusing to further fight-making narratives on the scene of UFC 268, White did not commit to getting Gaethje what he earned on the heels of an awe-inspiring duel with Michael Chandler at Madison Square Garden. A three-round brawl that spectators, and past and current UFC athletes unanimously shared their appreciation for the duel, and a title bout for the victorious Gaethje is not a surprise.
“One of the craziest fights I’ve seen in a long time. Someone asked if this had potential to be fight of the year. I say it’s on a very shortlist. Great job men,” former two-division champ and ESPN analyst Daniel Cormier said after the bout.
Justin Gaethje earned a deserved title shot at UFC 268
The second-ranked Gaethje won the thrilling contest by unanimous decision, picking up two scores of 29-28 and a 30-27 scorecard from the three Octagon-side judges. The win was Gaethje’s first competition inside the Octagon since a 2020 submission loss to former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
With the win, “The Highlight” improved to 23-3 and notched his sixth win in the promotion. For Chandler, the defeat saw him move to 22-7, as he suffered a second straight defeating, following his championship loss to Charles Oliveira in May.
On the heels of a wildly entertaining first round, the most significant moment of the fight came in round two, when Gaethje dropped the former Bellator lightweight champion with a vicious uppercut.
The bout was awarded a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus following the conclusion of the event. Both men were transported to the hospital and were unavailable to the media at the post-fight press conference. White told reporters doing so was “just precautionary” and standard operating procedure for the promotion after a fight that was such a “war.”
White acknowledged the notion a title shot could be next for Gaethje. “It makes sense, but you know, we’ll see what happens. I don’t make fights the night of the fight,” he said.
The UFC lightweight title, held by Oliveira, is up for grabs at UFC 269 on December 11, when the Brazilian defends his belt against superstar contender Dustin Poirier.
Gaethje has called for the winner of that fight to be his next opponent.
–Field Level Media
