The Justin Gaethje next fight news should arrive in the next couple of months, but until then we look at who he could face in his Octagon return and review his shocking knockout loss at UFC 300.
Who will Justin Gaethje next fight be against?
In one of the biggest fights of his legendary career, Justin Gaethje came up short in his BMF title fight against fellow future Hall-of-Famer Max Holloway. The defeat pushed him back in the lightweight title fight line and that is why matchups with Jorge Masvidal, Mateusz Gamrot, or Dan Hooker are likely next.
- Gamebred: Masvidal is another former BMF champion who has verbally sparred with Gaethje in public. While a matchup wouldn’t be for the platinum belt, a scrap between the two would be an easy sell and possible PPV co-main event.
- Rising Contender: If Gaethje wants to work his way back up into contention, Mateusz Gamrot is a rising star in the division and a win over him could rebuild a lot of lost momentum.
- All-Out War: If the UFC wants to put Gaethje in a fan-friendly and winnable fight, a booking with veteran Dan Hooker could deliver a wild fight featuring two ranked lightweights.
Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway recap
Holloway vs. Gaethje was one of the most highly anticipated bouts at UFC 300 and it completely lived up to the hopes of fight fans as both battled over five hard-fought rounds in an action-packed matchup that saw it all come to a close in spectacular fashion.
What happened: The two future Hall-of-Famers went toe-to-toe for five championship rounds but while Gaethje did major damage with his low kicks — as many expected — Holloway battled through it and was the faster and more technical fighter all night. He was winning on the scorecards in the fifth round when he took a massive risk by getting into a final-second brawl with the BMF champ that ended up delivering one of the biggest KOs in UFC history.
The fallout: The KO win is arguably the greatest in the storied career of “Blessed.” However, for Gaethje the matchup was a risk for him after getting back into title contention at lightweight and he will likely need to win another fight or two to get back into the title fight discussion.
The roadmap: It will be interesting to see what Gaethje does next because his path ahead for the first time in a while is unclear after such a devastating defeat.
What makes Justin Gaethje so popular?
The Violence King: There truly are very few fighters like Gaethje in UFC history. There have been many tough fighters, or brawlers with heavy hands, but few have been able to defeat elite talent as well. The 33-year-old is a rarity for being a crushing machine with an unbreakable will, but also has the skill and fight IQ to compete with the best lightweights of his era.
- Justin Gaethje Record: 25-5
- Justin Gaethje height: 5-foot-11
- Justin Gaethje stats: The man known as “The Highlight” has 20 knockouts and one submission victory during his legendary MMA career.
- The lightweight division has had some talented knockout artists, but not many have been as efficient as Gaethje in dealing out KOs. In his 25 wins, 80% have come by KO.
- Gaethje has a better knockout rate than heavyweight bombers Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou. The two men many believe are the most devastating punchers in MMA history.
- Gaethje had a good bit of hype entering the promotion after having a memorable run as the World Series of Fighting lightweight champion before they were rebranded as the PFL.
- Gaethje has faced two former UFC and Bellator 155-pound champions during his time in the UFC
- Several of his fights, including against Chandler, Poirier, Eddie Alvarez, and Michael Johnson, either won or were nominated for “Fight of the Year” during the 12-month period when they occurred.
Related: All New UFC Lightweight Rankings – Where does Justin Gaethje land in latest top 10?
Justin Gaethje’s net worth
Money is often one of the greatest measuring sticks for a fighter’s success. As of 2024, Gaethje’s net worth is estimated to be over $5 million.
