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Jon Anik: Justin Gaethje 'absolutely' should fight UFC champion Islam Makhachev next
03/12/2025 02:40 PM
Jon Anik vouches for Justin Gaethje getting the next UFC lightweight title shot.
Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) returned to the win column when he defeated Rafael Fiziev by unanimous decision in Saturday’s UFC 303 co-main event.
With UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is seeking new blood, Gaethje threw his name in the hat for a title shot. Ranked ahead of him are Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira, both of whom Makhachev already beat.
“He absolutely should fight Islam Makhachev for the title,” Anik told Bloody Elbow. “I don’t know that he could’ve done more with this showcase, and sometimes decision wins could be better than finishes, and I think in this instance, had there been a quick knockout, I actually think this is more useful. Justin Gaethje is going to go in the Hall of Fame twice.”
The other looming option is Ilia Topuria, who vacated his UFC featherweight title for a move up to lightweight. However, Makhachev and his team want to see Topuria earn his opportunity first.
“It would seem to me, in a speculative way, that Ilia Topuria has the inside track to fight Islam Makhachev,” Anik said. “I don’t know if it’s a case of you’ve got to strike while the iron is hot or if there isn’t an obvious No. 1 contender because Arman Tsarukyan wasn’t able to make the walk. I wonder if Islam Makhachev is going to have any say in all of this, and I wonder if his history having defended his title twice against a featherweight in Alexander Volkanovski plays into this at all.
“Don’t you believe, right, that if Islam Makhachev is probed about this, he’s going to want to fight Justin Gaethje? I don’t know what the pay-per-view window says about Gaethje vs. Topuria. Charles Oliveira is worthy, as well. I think we can all agree there are three options: Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira. The nature of this win for Gaethje and the fact that we haven’t seen that fight, to me promotionally, I would go in that direction.”
