Former interim UFC lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje, hasn’t fought since his UFC 254 defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov. ‘The Highlight’ had his first shot at the UFC gold. However, he couldn’t make the most of his opportunity as Nurmagomedov managed to earn a second-round submission win.

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Gaethje has been rumored to fight many of the big names of the 155 lbs division of the UFC since. But he hasn’t made the return to the Octagon yet. A teammate of his at the Elevation Fighting Team gym recently revealed that ‘The Highlight’ might even retire from the sport.

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 07: (L-R) Justin Gaethje celebrates after defeating Michael Johnson in their lightweight bout during The Ultimate Fighter Finale at T-Mobile Arena on July 7, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

This was very strange news, to say the least, and it caught Gaethje’s attention, and he took to Twitter to respond to those claims. He firmly denied the report.

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This is straight BS. I’m far from done from chasing that high. I’m also guessing this dude fabricated this entire thing,” wrote Gaethje. He even thinks the claim of him retiring was fabricated.

It would be very surprising to see a fighter like Gaethje retire at the peak of his career. Also, the fact that he is among the elites of the UFC’s lightweight division and is knocking on the door for a title shot also makes the rumors unfeasible.

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Who should Justin Gaethje fight when he returns to the Octagon?

The options are plenty for Gaethje when he actually makes a return to the Octagon. Many have touted recent title challenger. Michael Chandler to be his potential next opponent. A fight between him and ‘Iron’ is a very exciting prospect for the fans.

DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 02: (L-R) Justin Gaethje punches Eddie Alvarez in their lightweight bout during the UFC 218 event inside Little Caesars Arena on December 02, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

The lightweight division of the UFC is stacked at the moment. Gaethje is only going to get big-name opponents when he indeed makes a return to the Octagon. And given his body of work throughout his career in the UFC, he is probably one or two big wins away from fighting for the belt yet again.

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Apratim Banerjee

1,260 Articles

Apratim Banerjee is a senior UFC author for EssentiallySports and has been writing professionally for almost a year. Before his current gig, Apratim worked as a UFC writer for Sportskeeda. A long-time MMA fan, Apratim has developed a critical eye for the sport that has helped him transfer his vast knowledge to his copies and give hardcore and casual readers a detailed insight into the fights and fighters. Dan Henderson’s brutal knockout against Michael Bisping at UFC 100 in 2009 is one of his earliest memories of the sport. He has never missed a UFC PPV or a Fight Night since, which speaks volumes about his wealth of MMA knowledge. Israel Adesanya, Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic, Conor McGregor are some of his favorite fighters. Apart from this, Apratim plays soccer in his free time and loves scoring long-distance goals.

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