Dana White Confirms Justin Gaethje Is Next In Line At Lightweight
Dana White has confirmed what many MMA fans had already assumed and that is that Justin Gaethje is next in line at lightweight.
‘The Highlight’ is coming off an impressive decision win over Michael Chandler in a fight that seems almost certain to be named 2021’s Fight of the Year.
Ahead of his UFC 268 fight with Chandler, Gaethje was somewhat worried that the powers at be might not grant him a title shot with a win.
“If I don’t get the shot, we riot,” Gaethje said during his UFC 268 pre-fight presser. “We go to war. I have to be biased when it comes to this. I’m not going to be around here for much longer, so if I were to get snubbed again then, yeah, I’d have to do something about it. Whether that’s causing a ruckus.”
It appears that a riot will no be necessary, as White seemed to confirm that Gaethje will get the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier which will take place at UFC 269 on December 11.
“Yup (he’s next),” White said Wednesday on “The Jim Rome Podcast.” “As long as everybody’s healthy and everything’s good, it should be him, coming off one of the greatest fights anybody’s ever seen in their life.” (Transcribed by MMA Junkie)
Justin Gaethje Doesn’t Think Dustin Poirier Wants To Rematch Him
The former interim lightweight champion will be glad to hear White confirm his place in the 155lb pecking order. However, Gaethje is already on the record dismissing a potential rematch between him and Poirier.
In 2018, Gaethje went to war with ‘The Diamond’ and fell short via fourth-round TKO. After such an epic battle, Gaethje feels Poirier might not want round two and will opt to retire rather than rematch him.
“If he beats Charles Oliveira, I don’t know if he fights me. I think he just walks away, calls it good,” Gaethje said. “If Dustin Poirier wins, I’m going to have to really entice him to fucking get in there again… Now he gets to fight a more refined, and a more sophisticated psychopath.”
Do you think Dana White has made the right call by making Justin Gaethje next in line at lightweight?
