Latest news with #Gaethje
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pimblett targeting Topuria or Gaethje fight in October
Paddy Pimblett says he would love to fight Ilia Topuria in Abu Dhabi in October but his opponent is most likely to be Justin Gaethje. Liverpool's Pimblett earned a statement win over Michael Chandler last month before calling for his next bout to be against an opponent ranked in the top five. Spain's Topuria faces Brazil's Charles Oliveira for the lightweight belt at UFC 317 on 28 June after former champion Islam Makhachev vacated his belt to move up to welterweight. American Gaethje doesn't have a fight booked and is third in the UFC's lightweight rankings - five places above Pimblett. The UFC usually hosts a numbered event in Abu Dhabi in October but a potential date for this year's show is yet to be set. "I'm hoping to fight in Abu Dhabi in October. I think that's when I'm going to be back in the cage," Pimblett told BBC Sport. "I was thinking Ilia might call me out if he wins [against Oliveira]. I'd love to beat him if he gets the belt. "I'd love to fight him anyway but he's booked, so I think it's more than likely Justin Gaethje." Pimblett has history with former featherweight champion Topuria after the pair clashed at a hotel before UFC London in 2022. Topuria, 28, vacated his belt earlier this year to move up to lightweight, opening the door to a potential fight with Pimblett. Gaethje, meanwhile, last fought in March with a win over Rafael Fiziev - and with 20 knockouts from 26 bouts, he remains one of the most popular fighters on the roster. With fourth-ranked Max Holloway facing fifth-ranked Dustin Poirier on 19 July, the only other fighter without a fight booked in the top five is Armenia's Arman Tsarukyan, who Pimblett has no interest in. "No one [cares] about Arman Tsarukyan and people actually want to watch Gaethje fight. People know it'll be an exciting fight, me versus Gaethje," said Pimblett. "Tsarukyan, he's just an absolute tool, and then it's me and Gaethje. "One win away and I'll be fighting for the belt. Yeah, that's always been the aim. It's the only aim that we have." Since his UFC debut in 2021 Pimblett has won all seven fights and grown into one of the most popular fighters in the promotion. Pimblett has long wanted to headline a show in his hometown Liverpool but the UFC hasn't held an event in the city since 2018, instead choosing to put shows on in London and Manchester. Because Liverpool's biggest arena, the M&S Bank Arena, only has a capacity of 11,000, Pimblett has suggested Premier League champions Liverpool's stadium Anfield as a potential venue. UFC president Dana White, however, has often opted against hosting shows in stadiums, citing a lack of atmosphere and potential rain as the reasons why. Pimblett has suggested White should visit Anfield to watch a Liverpool game to change his mind. "It needs to be Anfield. That's the only the only viable place to do it. And I know Dana doesn't like doing stadiums, he's done it in Australia, but Anfield is different," said Pimblett. "He needs to come to Anfield on a Champions League night or when we play Manchester United or something like that, or even the blue shirt [Everton]. "You need to come and watch because you'd be like 'wow, this is unbelievable'." MMA schedule and results 2025 Watch every Born to Brawl episode Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC analyst explains why 'more exciting' Justin Gaethje didn't get Ilia Topuria fight
UFC analyst explains why 'more exciting' Justin Gaethje didn't get Ilia Topuria fight Din Thomas thinks Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje would have been a better fight than Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. With Islam Makhachev relinquishing his lightweight title, the promotion opted to pit Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) against Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) for the vacant belt in the June 28 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). According to UFC commentator Jon Anik, Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) was upset to be passed up on the title opportunity, and Thomas agrees. "I think that would have excited me more, too," Thomas said of Topuria vs. Gaethje on his "FightCourt" podcast. "I think the only other reason I could see them not giving it to Gaethje is maybe just the lasting impression of him getting knocked out by Max (Holloway) might have hurt his stock a little bit in terms of championship aspirations. "It's tough to say where Gaethje even goes from here. Do you put him against Arman (Tsarukyan)? I would much rather have seen him fight Ilia, honestly. I would much rather have seen that. Maybe he did get kind of passed up, and it was just based on our own perceptions and bias towards Charles, just almost accepting that he deserved to be in that spot and I didn't even question it." Thomas thinks the idea of Oliveira in the title picture wasn't even debated by the UFC. "To me, it was almost automatic we just assumed and expected it to be Charles, and maybe the UFC did, too," Thomas said. "Like they just saw it the way it was supposed to be. Charles probably just talked his way to being like, 'Yo, I'm fighting for this title,' so then automatically we just assumed that was the situation."
Irish Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Gaethje 'p****d' with UFC as Topuria vs Oliveira fight announced
UFC commentator Jon Anik has shared that lightweight ace Justin Gaethje was none too pleased when Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira was announced. The scrap is set for June 28 at UFC 317, after Islam Makhachev chose to drop the title and step up to welterweight, with an eye on a straight-up title tussle against new champ Jack Della Maddalena later in the year. Having relinquished the featherweight title earlier this year, Topuria's skipping ahead to a title fight once more as he targets two-division champion glory. While fans are all abuzz about the matchup, Gaethje feels overlooked and reckons it should be him in the title shot come next month. "He was p****d," Anik revealed on The Anik and Florian Podcast. "He feels like certainly he was passed over in favour of Charles Oliveira for this opportunity against Ilia Topuria. I think what Justin Gaethje and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, are looking for is just some sort of guarantee that they will be next. Because it's 19 May, and the good news for this Topuria-Oliveira fight is that it's f******g 28 June – it's less than six weeks away. "So, I don't think it's a mad request for Justin, having done what he did against Rafael Fiziev: staying on the fight card, not fighting Dan Hooker, getting a win, distance from the UFC 300 result.", reports the Mirror. Anik was referencing Gaethje's earlier victory over Fiziev this year - a match where the 'Highlight' stepped up following Dan Hooker's pullout. The American bounced back after a devastating last-second knockout defeat to Max Holloway. "And by the way, he fought [Holloway] at UFC 300 to help the UFC," Anik continued. "He could have fought for the undisputed championship at that point in time, so I wouldn't be surprised if Gaethje gets some sort of guarantee that he's next for the Topuria-Oliveira winner. But I can just tell you Justin was not thrilled." With the lightweight title bout just weeks away, Topuria recently shocked the MMA community when news broke that he has split from his lifelong coaches, Agustin and Jorge Climent. With the 28 year old well into his training camp, the announcement comes as quite the bombshell. The brother duo behind Climent Club in Alicante, Spain, have been pivotal in the training of 'El Matador' and his brother Aleksandre Topuria since their MMA beginnings. Following his featherweight championship win last year, Topuria made the decision to move from Alicante to Madrid. This shift is reported to have led to changes in his training routine. "Both sides live in different cities, and their multiple professional projects prevent them from collaborating as they once did," revealed MARCA. Topuria has expressed appreciation for his long-time guides, saying: "We thank them for all these years of mutual learning and growth, and they wholeheartedly wish them all the best in all their projects." With a looming fight against a Brazilian contender, Topuria's corner is poised to include his sibling Aleksandre, Jesus Gallo, Javi Climent – who isn't kin to the Climent brothers – Mani Tavanaei, and Mathias Ribeiro.
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jon Anik says Justin Gaethje 'was pissed' about being passed up for UFC 317 title fight
Jon Anik says Justin Gaethje 'was pissed' about being passed up for UFC 317 title fight According to Jon Anik, Justin Gaethje was more than disappointed to not be part of the vacant UFC lightweight title fight. With Islam Makhachev relinquishing his title for a move up to 170 pounds, Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and Charles Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) will battle for the vacant belt on June 28 in the UFC 317 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). Prior to Makhachev moving up, Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) appeared to be in the running for a title shot, which is why "The Highlight" is not happy to be left out of the equation. "He was pissed," Anik said on his "Anik & Florian Podcast." "He feels like certainly he was passed over in favor of Charles Oliveira for this opportunity against Ilia Topuria, and I think what Justin Gaethje and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, are looking for is just some sort of guarantee that they will be next because it's May 19, and the good news for this Topuria-Oliveira fight is that it's f*cking June 28, it's less than six weeks away. "So I don't think it's a crazy request for Justin, having done what he did against Rafael Fiziev, staying on the fight card, not fighting Dan Hooker, getting a win, distance from the UFC 300 result – and by the way, he fought at UFC 300 to help the UFC when he could have fought for the undisputed championship at that point in time. So, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if Gaethje gets some sort of guarantee that he's next for the Topuria-Oliveira winner. But I can just tell you that Justin was not thrilled." In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, manager Ali Abdelaziz said Gaethje should wait and fight the winner of Topuria vs. Oliveira.
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
UFC star enraged by brutal snub ahead of Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira fight
The UFC stars are set to clash for the vacant lightweight title next month in Las Vegas, but one fighter has been left enraged after being brutally snubbed UFC commentator Jon Anik has revealed that lightweight star Justin Gaethje was "p****d" after Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira was announced. The fight is scheduled for June 28 at UFC 317, following Islam Makhachev's decision to vacate the title and move up to welterweight, eyeing an immediate title shot against new king Jack Della Maddalena later in the year. After giving up the featherweight belt earlier this year, Topuria is now jumping straight into another title fight as he aims to become a two-division champion. While fans are buzzing over the bout, Gaethje feels snubbed, believing he should have been competing for gold next month. "He was p****d," Anik said on The Anik and Florian Podcast. "He feels like certainly he was passed over in favour of Charles Oliveira for this opportunity against Ilia Topuria. I think what Justin Gaethje and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, are looking for is just some sort of guarantee that they will be next. Because it's 19 May, and the good news for this Topuria-Oliveira fight is that it's f******g 28 June – it's less than six weeks away. "So, I don't think it's a mad request for Justin, having done what he did against Rafael Fiziev: staying on the fight card, not fighting Dan Hooker, getting a win, distance from the UFC 300 result." Anik was referring to Gaethje's victory over Fiziev earlier this year - a bout that saw the 'Highlight' compete following Dan Hooker's withdrawal. The American returned to winning ways after a crushing last-minute knockout loss to Max Holloway. "And by the way, he fought [Holloway] at UFC 300 to help the UFC," Anik added. "He could have fought for the undisputed championship at that point in time, so I wouldn't be surprised if Gaethje gets some sort of guarantee that he's next for the Topuria-Oliveira winner. But I can just tell you Justin was not thrilled." With only weeks remaining until the lightweight title fight, Topuria recently stunned the MMA world when it emerged that he has parted ways with his lifelong coaches, Agustin and Jorge Climent. With the 28-year-old deep into his training camp, the news comes as a real shock. The two brothers run Climent Club in Alicante, Spain, where 'El Matador' and his brother Aleksandre Topuria have trained since the start of their MMA careers. After clinching the featherweight title last year, Topuria decided to relocate to Madrid from Alicante. The switch has reportedly caused a split in his training regime. "Both sides live in different cities, and their multiple professional projects prevent them from collaborating as they once did," according to the MARCA report. Topuria expressed gratitude towards his lifelong mentors, stating: "We thank them for all these years of mutual learning and growth, and they wholeheartedly wish them all the best in all their projects." With a bout against the Brazilian around the corner, Topuria's team is now expected to consist of his brother Aleksandre, Jesus Gallo, Javi Climent – who is not related to the Climent brothers – Mani Tavanaei, and Mathias Ribeiro.
