Justin Gaethje weighs up retirement if he misses out on title fight after UFC 317: ‘I feel disrespected’

According to his manager, Justin Gaethje is set to weigh up a potential retirement if he misses out on another charge for the lightweight crown off the back of UFC 317 later this month.

Gaethje, a former interim champion and symbolic BMF titleholder, has been sidelined since March, where he landed an impressive second career win over perennial contender, Rafael Fiziev on short-notice in the co-main event of UFC 313.

But later this month, the vacant lightweight crown is on the line to top International Fight Week. Headlining the event will be former featherweight kingpin, Ilia Topuria who makes his return in a showdown against former undisptued gold holder, Charles Oliveira.

And as far Arizona native, Gaethje’s long-time manager, Ali Abdelaziz is concerned, the Dominance MMA leader believes his client will hang up his gloves if he is not booked in a title fight in his next Octagon walk.

Justin Gaethje weighing-up potential UFC retirement

“He (Justin Gaethje said ‘if I don’t fight for the title, I’m just gonna hang up my gloves…” Abdelaziz told Submission Radio during a recent interview. “I feel disrespected. I love being a UFC fighter, I love the UFC, but I feel the UFC has to love me back.’”

Earlier this year to boot, long-time play-by-play lead, Jon Anik revealed former interim gold holder, Gaethje was “p*ssed” to miss out on a title charge against either Topuria or Oliveira next.

“He was pissed,” UFC play-by-play man, Jon Anik, said of Gaethje on The Anik & Florian Podcast. “He feels like certainly he was passed over in favor of Charles Oliveira for this opportunity against Ilia Topuria and I think what Justin Gaethje and his manager Ali Abdelaziz are looking for is just some sort of guarantee that they will be next because it’s May 19 and the good news for this Topuria-Oliveira fight is that it’s June 28, it’s less than six weeks away.”