Justin Gaethje says he is content to leave his losses to Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway unavenged after defeating Ilia Topuria, who previously stopped both fighters.
Gaethje discussed his future during an appearance on the Flagrant podcast this week, revealing that he is still dealing with injuries sustained from his most recent fight against Topuria. The lightweight champion also admitted that he remains undecided about whether he will compete again.
Asked if there were any remaining matchups he would like to pursue before calling it a career, Gaethje acknowledged that rematches with Oliveira and Holloway would traditionally be high on his list. However, his victory over Topuria has changed the way he views those losses.
“Obviously, like, the people that beat me I want (to face again). And I know how big of a bitch I sound when I say this but the fact that Ilia knocked out Charles Olivera and Max Holloway, which are the only two people that are still there that have beat me, yeah like, I'm okay with those (losses),” Gaethje said.
Gaethje lost to Oliveira at UFC 274 in May 2022, when Oliveira submitted him in the first round to retain the UFC lightweight championship. He suffered another defeat to Holloway at UFC 300 in April 2024, losing by unanimous decision in a BMF title fight.
Topuria subsequently defeated both fighters. He stopped Holloway with a third-round knockout at UFC 308 before knocking out Oliveira in the first round of their lightweight title fight.
Gaethje believes his victory over Topuria gives him a unique sense of closure regarding those two defeats.
“I'm okay with them beating me and I'm okay beating (and) knocking, finishing, making the guy quit that finished them (Topuria), so that like wipes the slate (clean),” Gaethje said. “As stupid as (it sounds), I don't know if that's cowardly or (what), but yeah, I don't know. I'm okay with it.”
Whether Gaethje will return to the Octagon remains uncertain. For now, the veteran lightweight appears comfortable with the idea of walking away without getting direct rematches against the only two fighters currently on his record who have defeated him.
