In June, Justin Gaethje‘s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, made it clear that his fighter was ready to hang up his gloves if he didn’t get a title shot. After all, ‘The Highlight’ was back in the winning circles after defeating Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313. But perhaps that statement snowballed into speculation about him retiring. How true is that?

In simple words, Gaethje has not retired. He hasn’t shared any official statement about it, and the UFC has not mentioned anything.

So, it seems the fighter is still vying for a title shot. He currently stands at #4 in the lightweight division; that’s right behind fighters like Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira, and Max Holloway. But let us also not forget that he is 37 and retirement might be on his mind. No wonder he has been playing golf with Daniel Cormier and trying to grow his YouTube channel. Many fans have taken that as an indication that he is preparing for life after retirement.

However, there is another aspect that fueled his retirement rumors. Following his manager’s comments on the retirement situation, numerous MMA fans extended that joke on social media. For instance, one user sarcastically framed it, “Justin Gaethje has announced his retirement upon hearing he will not be getting his Make-A-Wish title shot granted to him. What was your favorite moment from “The Highlight’s” career?”

If you don’t know what a Make-A-Wish title shot is, well, it’s just a slang term for an ‘undeserved’ claim at the division belt. Looks like Gaethje’s demands for a fight against Ilia Topuria have become a running joke for the fans.

Apparently, a certain section of fans doesn’t want Gaethje fighting for the belt again. But could these rumours bring the fighter to the UFC’s attention?

Does Justin Gaethje deserve another title shot?

‘The Highlight’ has already gotten his title shot a couple of times. He challenged the Dagestani phenom Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020. ‘Eagle’ forced Gaethje to tap out with a triangle choke in the second round. But Gaethje worked his way up again in 2022, which ended in a similar way when Oliveira tapped him out.

Since then, Gaethje’s journey has been bumpy, with Max Holloway ending his two-fight win streak with a fifth-round KO that is etched in the history books. His recent UD win against Rafael Fiziev is a remarkable comeback, but just not enough when stacked against the packed lightweight division. Here’s why.

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Arman Tsarukyan made a statement with his win against Dan Hooker. It even earned him compliments from Islam Makhachev. Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway are heating up the scene, too, with a potential rematch in sight.

Ilia Topuria himself wants to fight Paddy Pimblett next, choosing the Liverpool fighter over Justin Gaethje.

“If it were up to me, I think I’d rather fight Paddy because there’s a history. And I think it would be a much more entertaining fight for the fans. At the end of the day, I compete to entertain everyone and give them a unique experience, and I think with Paddy, we can achieve that,” ‘El Matador’ explained in October.

It looks like the title shot is out of reach for Justin Gaethje at the moment. Although his retirement talks might be sad, it looks like fans want to watch more deserving fighters get the opportunity.

Would you like to see Topuria take on Gaethje? Let us know in the comments below.