The lightweight division is always a hot mess of drama, rivalry and last minute twists, but Justin Gesche makes sure everyone knows where they stand. In sports where fighters often speak louder and act bigger, Gaethje’s latest comment has passed through the noise with a refreshing dullness. He’s not here for the sideshow, he wants the main event, the belt and less.
Justin Gesche outlines his plans
Speaking in a recent interview with Jose Youngs, Justin Gesche laid out his plans with trademark honesty. “I’m waiting for the winner of Ilia and Charles. Next week, June 28th, they’re fighting. I’m there! That’s who I want to fight. We’ll see what it will happen. I’ll catch me on a certain day, I’ll tell you certain things. It’s a very emotional sport.
Translation: Gaethje is messing around. If there is no title, don’t expect him to meet up at the Octagon anytime soon.
Justin Gesche’s career is a highlight reel of confusion and courage. He joined the UFC in 2017, quickly making a splash and won the night fight in his debut with Michael Johnson. Since then, he has become a fan favorite due to his willingness to throw away anyone at any time. He faces Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson, Khabib Nurmagomedov, the best of the best. He stopped Ferguson at UFC 249 to win the interim lightweight title, but later lost a unified match to Khabib.
In recent years, Justin Gechejas has been in the division’s top mix. His battle with Michael Chandler at UFC 268 is an instant classic and earned honors of the year. He challenged Charles Oliveira for a vacant title at UFC 274, but it got shorter. He then won the BMF belt at UFC 291 with Dustin Poirier’s brutal head kick knockout. His recent outing against Max Holloway at the UFC 300 was nothing but legendary. This was a five-round war in which fans and commentators lost the BMF title in the final seconds of the fight, thanks to a knockout from Holloway, where they lost their words.
The sector is now widespread as Islamic Makhachev is chasing welterweight gold with a lighter title. Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira are set in the UFC 317 headings on the free belt. Gaethje is waiting for the next shot of glory. He revealed it: he has no interest in warm-up fights or tuning. If it’s not the champion, he might just leave.