Justin Gaethje has no plans to retire after beating Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 for lightweight title
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- Justin Gaethje won the undisputed UFC lightweight championship at UFC Freedom 250 and said on 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast on Saturday: 'There's not something natural in me that feels like it's over,' confirming plans to defend the title.
- Gaethje flatly rejected an Ilia Topuria rematch, telling the Rogan podcast: 'He quit on the stool. I stopped him twice. What else do I have to f---ing do? He doesn't get a rematch.'
- Arman Tsarukyan, the top contender, is also off Gaethje's list — the champion said he has no interest in facing him either, narrowing the field of potential next opponents.
- Charles Oliveira, a former lightweight champion who holds a win over Gaethje, is among the intriguing names the new champion could face next.
- The winner of Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway, a welterweight bout headlining UFC 329, has the 'name value to cut the line' for a title shot, per Gaethje's framing.
- Benoit Saint Denis could force his way into title contention by beating Paddy Pimblett on June 11, a fight Gaethje himself pointed to as the kind of matchup that should determine the next challenger.
Why it matters: Gaethje's refusal to grant Topuria an immediate rematch — and his dismissal of Tsarukyan as well — keeps the 37-year-old champion's options open for the highest-value matchups, including the McGregor-Holloway winner at UFC 329, while redirecting Topuria to a must-win bout against Pimblett on June 11 to earn his way back.
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