Justin Gaethje has never been shy about the fire that fuels him, or the line he’s willing to draw when that fire dims. Twenty-six wins, fourteen UFC bonuses, and one BMF title run later, ‘The Highlight’ now finds himself staring at a crossroads. After UFC 317 crowned Ilia Topuria the new lightweight champion with a stunning knockout over Charles Oliveira, Gaethje made it clear he should be next in line for the title. Instead, he was seemingly passed over again. And in a sport where timing is currency, patience feels expensive.

Not long ago, Gaethje saved UFC 300 by stepping in against Max Holloway, only to suffer a brutal knockout. He rebounded with a gritty win at UFC 313, but still watched others leapfrog him in title conversations. His manager publicly claimed at the time, “If anyone said he doesn’t deserve it, he said, ‘If I’m not going to fight for the title, I’m just going to hang up my gloves.’”  Now the tension around Gaethje’s future is louder than ever, and one of his fellow UFC lightweights sees a different frontrunner emerging in the title queue!

Beneil Dariush remains tight-lipped about Justin Gaethje’s retirement but backs Arman Tsarukyan

Speaking to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn on YouTube, Beneil Dariush didn’t dismiss Gaethje’s stance, but he didn’t fully endorse it either. When asked whether Gaethje, who shares the same management as him, would retire if denied a title shot, he replied, “Justin is kinda a man of his words, so we’ll see. I don’t, you know, want to jump and be like, ‘Oh, he’s this or that, ’ but typically Justin is the kind of guy if he says he’s going to do something, he’s going to do it. So, we’ll see how it goes.”

That sounds less like skepticism and more like acknowledgement: Gaethje means what he says, even when the consequences are seismic. But when the conversation shifted to deserving challengers, Dariush didn’t hesitate. He confessed in the interview, “I would say Arman is more deserving, but you know, that’s not always what gets you the title shot. And he’s fighting too, he’s got to get through Dan Hooker.”

Arman Tsarukyan is slated to face Dan Hooker next on November 22 at UFC Fight Night 264 in Qatar. He has momentum and youth on his side. Beneil Dariush’s message? Merit doesn’t always lead to matchmaking, and right now, Tsarukyan has more than earned his shot, going by his record alone. Perhaps, missing his shot at UFC 311 due to a back injury is what kept him from leapfroging to the top of the ladder.

As for Gaethje, when the UFC boss Dana White heard about Gaethje’s demand, he said, “We love Justin Gaethje, and Justin Gaethje did step up and he’s been an exciting, fun fighter to have here in the UFC. But to say, ‘Listen, unless you give me a title shot I’m retiring,’ that’s pretty wacky.” But, is there a way the promotion can stop ‘The Highlight’ from walking away without handing him a title shot? Kamaru Usman believes there’s a solution to the problem!

Gaethje might be tempted to fight at the White House, according to Kamaru Usman

Retirement threats hit differently when they come from a man like Gaethje, someone who doesn’t bluff often. Yet one of the people who knows him best believes the UFC has one ace left to keep him fighting, even if Ilia Topuria isn’t next. Kamaru Usman, Gaethje’s teammate and former UFC champion, isn’t convinced the ultimatum is as rigid as it sounds.

On his Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman pointed to a unique stage looming on the horizon: the UFC’s planned White House fight card next year. According to him, there are very few things that would pull Gaethje back without a belt attached, as he confessed, “Justin Gaethje on the (White House) card, I think that’s a no-brainer.”

He painted the picture of a patriotic spectacle, a card on American soil with historic implications, and Gaethje’s fan-friendly style lighting up the national spotlight. Could even a title chase compete with that?

Usman also floated a name that would spark headlines, not rankings, Paddy Pimblett, as he continued, “Against) Paddy Pimblett? I see it. And I think in a circumstance and a situation like that, I think that’s something that Justin Gaethje might get up for. I think that’s the only case when he entertains a fight like that, and it not be for the title.”

As such, when legacy, pride, and timing collide, the lightweight division suddenly feels like a powder keg. Justin Gaethje isn’t begging; he’s daring the sport to value what he’s poured into it. Beneil Dariush acknowledged it, Usman offered a creative detour, and Dana White fired his warning shot: ultimatums rarely sway the UFC!