Justin Gaethje targets March return to the UFC, welcomes Renato Moicano, Dan Hooker fights
Former interim lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje will likely land in the Octagon as soon as March according to his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, with the UFC favorite open to fights against the likes of surging challengers, Renato Moicano, and Dan Hooker next.
Gaethje, who retains the number three rank in the official lightweight rankings, has been sidelined since he featured on the main card of UFC 300 earlier this year, dropping his symbolic BMF championship in a spectacular fifth round, buzzer-beating knockout loss to incoming UFC 308 title challenger, Max Holloway.
In his most recent win, Arizona native, Gaethje would scoop said BMF gold holder in the summer of last year, taking out fellow former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier with a hellacious second round high-kick in the pair’s high-stakes rematch fight.
Justin Gaethje backed to fight as soon as March
And weighing up a trilogy rubber match with Poirier next — with the Lafayette striker confirming how he had fight news in the works, Gaethje’s manager, Abdelaziz confirmed how the lightweight contender is planning a return to action as soon as March of next year.
“Justin Gaethje’s going to fight in March,” Ali Abdelaziz told MMA Fighting. “Against who? I have no idea. It can be (Dan) Hooker. It can be Dustin Poirier. It can be (Renato) Moicano. Whatever it is. I don’t know but I would like to see Justin fight in March. He needs a little bit of time to recover after his last fight. He deserves that.”
“I think he’ll be ready in March to fight,” Abdelaziz explained. “Against who? Justin Gaethje doesn’t pick opponents.
And while City Kickboxing star, Hooker has been lined up as a potential opponent for Gaethje according to Dominance MMA manager, Abdelaziz, the Kiwi has been heavily linked with a high-stakes pairing with former two-division champion, Conor McGregor as soon as February of next year in a matchup in Saudi Arabia.
