It’s been almost eight months since Justin Gaethje stepped inside the Octagon. His last win was over Rafael Fiziev in their rematch in March. But for him, the delay isn’t really his doing. He has always been one of the UFC’s most loyal and exciting fighters for years. All that the former interim lightweight champion wants in return is a shot at the current lightweight champion, Ilia Topuria. The Elevation Fight Team member had even stated that if he doesn’t get that opportunity, he’ll likely hang up his gloves for good. However, ‘El Matador’ has his own plans for his first title defense.

“If it is about my choice, I think I would like to fight against Paddy [Pimblett] because there is a story that unites us,” Topuria told Diario AS when asked about his preferred next opponent in next year’s first Paramount card, where UFC CEO Dana White has claimed Topuria could feature. Still, ‘The Highlight’ hasn’t given up hope of facing Topuria—ideally in what could be one of the biggest events in UFC history, the highly anticipated White House card.

Justin Gaethje hopes his loyalty to UFC pays off

Speaking in one of his latest YouTube videos, the American lightweight revealed, “My next fight, I’m planning on fighting whenever Ilia Topuria is fighting.” He mentioned that he had initially hoped the bout could happen in January, but “I can’t really see that happening now.” He stated, “The biggest question is, when is Ilia fighting again? I don’t know the answer to that… Best case scenario now is [that] they put us on the White House card.”

Justin Gaethje expressed frustration over why the UFC wouldn’t book the fight on the historic White House event. “He’s the champ, very popular. I’m an American and just as deserving as anybody in the lightweight division,” Gaethje explained, adding that he’s always been loyal to the promotion. “I’ve never not shown up for a fight, never let the UFC down. Never failed them, and I’ve always been there for them.”

“So, I expect to get that fight and represent the United States of America on the White House lawn,” he concluded in the video. If the fight does get pushed back to June, the 36-year-old would be risking a 15-month layoff from the Octagon.

Gaethje’s record of stepping up for the UFC speaks for itself—he replaced Khabib Nurmagomedov to face Tony Ferguson for the interim title on short notice. More recently, he fought Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 after Dan Hooker withdrew due to injury.

Throughout his UFC career, ‘The Highlight’ has never missed weight and has consistently delivered fan-favorite performances, helping elevate the promotion’s global status. Given his dedication, few can question whether Gaethje deserves a shot at Topuria. Meanwhile, Dana White has an update for the potential Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett matchup.

Dana White shoots down Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett rumors

The UFC head honcho has poured cold water over the rumors about a potential fight between Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett. Following Topuria’s stunning knockout win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, many expected the heated rivals to finally settle their long-standing feud, with reports suggesting the bout could take place in January as part of the UFC’s new broadcast deal with Paramount. However, Dana White dismissed those talks during an interview with TNT Fight Sports.

“We’re always exploring lots of different things,” White said. “Obviously, it’s a fun fight; people would like to see that. But I don’t know. As of right now, no, we haven’t made that fight. We’re trying to figure out what’s next for Topuria.” While Pimblett sits at No. 6 in the rankings, White suggested the matchup isn’t on the table—at least not yet—as the UFC continues weighing options for Topuria’s first title defense.

This means Justin Gaethje still has some skin in the game. However, whether he gets the fight is a different story. Only time will tell what’s in store for ‘The Highlight.’ But do you think Gaethje should get the Ilia Topuria fight?