Justin Gaethje has explained his mindset in the lead-up to his win over Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324.
Prior to defeating Pimblett (23-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) to capture the UFC interim lightweight title in the promotion’s first main event of 2026 one week ago, Gaethje (27-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) told reporters he would consider retiring from the sport if he suffered a loss to “The Baddy” at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Fans speculated that “The Highlight” floating the idea of retirement meant he already had one foot out the door, but Gaethje insists he was simply placing himself in the right psychological position to perform at his best.
“People are so foreign to that type of thing,” Gaethje said during an appearance on the What Hones You Show on ONX Sports. “It's so foreign that we verbalized it. We made it the truth. But it still was never a factor in my mind. Everyone's like, 'Oh, he has one foot out.' It's like, you're looking at it from the wrong place. Look how helpful it can be if you do approach things like this. And it doesn't have to be from a negative sense.. It wasn't. It was just the truth.”
Gaethje became the first fighter in promotional history to win a second interim title at UFC 324. He previously captured the BMF title with a head-kick knockout victory over Dustin Poirier in 2023, before losing it to Max Holloway at UFC 300 the following year.
That loss to Holloway, one of the most devastating knockout defeats in UFC history, still lingers in the interim champion’s mind. Gaethje insists that if he were to suffer another loss of that nature, he would cut his losses and walk away from the sport.
“If I get knocked out again, like Max Holloway knocked me out, I would be done,” Gaethje admitted. “I would not allow myself to risk being in that position again. And that's just the truth. But that does not make me one foot in, one foot out. That is how I fight. That is more pressure. Luckily, pressure makes me better. But you have to be honest.”
