Latest news with #JustinGaethje
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Paddy Pimblett prefers Justin Gaethje over 'absolute tool' Arman Tsarukyan, gets response
Paddy Pimblett prefers Justin Gaethje over 'absolute tool' Arman Tsarukyan, gets response Paddy Pimblett explains why Justin Gaethje, not Arman Tsarukyan is the fight to make. Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is perhaps one big win away from title contention after scoring a dominant finish of Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April. Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira will battle for the vacant lightweight title in the UFC 317 main event on June 28, and Pimblett sees Justin Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) as his ticket to the winner of that fight. "I'm hoping to fight in Abu Dhabi in October," Pimblett told BBC Sport. "I think that's when I'm going to be back in the cage. 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." The only other available option for Pimblett in the top five is Arman Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC), who was booked to face Islam Makhachev in a title fight at UFC 311 before withdrawing the day before due to a back injury. Pimblett went off on Tsarukyan for pulling out. Tsarukyan said he'd be willing to fight Pimblett in summer, but "The Baddy" did not reciprocate the interest. "No one (cares) about Arman Tsarukyan and people actually want to watch Gaethje fight," Pimblett said. "People know it'll be an exciting fight, me vs. Gaethje. 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." Tsarukyan fired back at Pimblett.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
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 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 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 Gaethje doesn't have a fight booked and is third in the UFC's lightweight rankings - five places above 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 28, vacated his belt earlier this year to move up to lightweight, opening the door to a potential fight with 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 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." 'White needs to come to Anfield' Since his UFC debut in 2021 Pimblett has won all seven fights and grown into one of the most popular fighters in the 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 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 president Dana White, however, has often opted against hosting shows in stadiums, citing a lack of atmosphere and potential rain as the reasons 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'."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Justin Gaethje Frustrated After Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira Title Fight Announcement
UFC 317 will mark the start of Ilia Topuria's quest for double champion status, as he moves up to lightweight and immediately challenges for UFC gold. In his divisional debut, Topuria faces one of the sport's most feared submission specialists in Charles Oliveira—a former titleholder known for breaking records and finishing elite opponents on the ground. But while the spotlight shines on the matchup, one former UFC champion is feeling overlooked—and he's not staying silent. That former titleholder is Justin Gaethje. On a recent episode of the Anik & Florian Podcast, co-host Jon Anik shed light on a private conversation he had with Gaethje, revealing the lightweight contender's frustration. 'He was pissed, right? He feels like certainly he was passed over in favor of Charles Oliveira for this opportunity against Ilia Topuria,' Anik said. He added, 'I think what Justin Gaethje and his manager Ali Abdelaziz are looking for is just some sort of guarantee that they will be next.' Advertisement Gaethje's irritation comes on the heels of a critical bounce-back win at UFC 313, where he defeated Rafael Fiziev by majority decision. It was a rematch of their razor-close bout at UFC 286, and this time, Gaethje clearly separated himself in the third round, earning Fight of the Night honors. The win moved him to No. 3 in the official UFC lightweight rankings. Charles Oliveira, currently ranked No. 2, returned to action at UFC 309, where he secured a unanimous decision victory over Michael Chandler. The bout marked his bounce-back fight after suffering a loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300. Oliveira earned the win on all three judges' scorecards, reinforcing his position as a top contender and strengthening his case for another shot at the belt. Justin GaethjeGetty Images With Gaethje and Oliveira neck-and-neck in the rankings and both coming off high-level wins, it's understandable why the UFC's decision to go with Oliveira over Gaethje could be seen as a toss-up. Each man had a legitimate case, but ultimately it was Oliveira who landed the Topuria sweepstakes. UFC CEO Dana WhitePhoto by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC With Dana White remaining noncommittal about Gaethje's future, the road ahead remains uncertain. However, if history is any indicator, the former champion is unlikely to stay sidelined for long. A clash with the winner of UFC 317 could still be in play—and Gaethje is making sure his name stays in the conversation. Related: Jake Paul Responds to Logan's MMA Challenge in Latest Twist to Sibling Rivalry Related: New Details Emerge in Fatal Crash Involving Francis Ngannou: Report
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.
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Manager: Justin Gaethje deserves Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira winner after UFC 317
Manager: Justin Gaethje deserves Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira winner after UFC 317 With the UFC lightweight division getting a makeover in the aftermath of Islam Makhachev vacating the title, Justin Gaethje's position for a title shot has seemingly improved. A new champion will be crowned in just over one month when Ilia Topuria takes on Charles Oliveira for the vacant belt in the UFC 317 headliner on June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). What happens after that remains to be seen. Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) was already making the pitch for him to fight for the belt next before Makhachev vacated, as he represented a fresh matchup for the now-former champ. With Makhachev out of the picture now, though, Gaethje's manager, Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA, still thinks he's next in line. "I think Justin Gaethje's the No. 1 contender," Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. "He was supposed to fight Dan Hooker, and Hooker didn't show up. He stepped up for the company, fought Rafael Fiziev (at UFC 313), and I think he should wait and fight the winner. That's what I think he should do, but in reality, this game leaves people behind, and I don't want this game to leave him behind. If it makes sense, Justin will fight. Justin is afraid of no one. He will fight anyone. It has to make sense for him." With the way the 155-pound division is being booked, Gaethje is likely looking at a matchup with Paddy Pimblett (who recently called him out) or Arman Tsarukyan if he doesn't get the title shot. Abdelaziz said he's not opposed to either pairing, but simply wants the fight that would put his client in an undeniable spot. "Who cares? It doesn't matter," Abdelaziz said. "If you're a fighter and you think you're the best in the world, you have to beat the best guys. You don't pick and choose. Justin Gaethje never picked an opponent, never chose an opponent. He will fight you anywhere, any time. It doesn't really matter, but it has to be fair. A guy who gave his title shot to save International Fight Week and fight Max Holloway. He knocked out Dustin Poirier and Dustin Poirier got a title shot. How are you going to tell him he can't get the next title shot?" Abdelaziz and Gaethje will likely be waiting and watching to see what happens at UFC 317, and whether it's Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) or Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) who goes home with the belt. Gaethje would love the chance to avenge his first-round submission loss to Oliveira from UFC 274 if he emerges with gold, but if it's Topuria, then Abdelaziz thinks that's a massive fight for the sport. "If Ilia wins, Justin Gaethje vs. Ilia Topuria is a blockbuster fight," Abdelaziz said.
