Justin Gaethje gets honest about UFC 254 defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov

Justin Gaethje has opened up on his submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 254.

Right now, Justin Gaethje is waiting his opportunity to compete for the UFC lightweight championship once again. While it certainly seems like he’s the next man in line to face Ilia Topuria, it’s certainly not guaranteed – which is probably why we haven’t heard an official announcement from the UFC just yet.

RELATED: Justin Gaethje earned title shot against Ilia Topuria, says veteran UFC personality

Of course, Gaethje has fought for the undisputed belt before, against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. On both occasions, ‘The Highlight’ suffered a submission defeat, with the first of thise opportunities coming at UFC 254 in a tense and competitive affair against Khabib.

Nurmagomedov had recently lost his father and proceeded to retire after the bout, with Gaethje believing that nobody would’ve been able to defeat the champion on that night.

No man on earth was beating Khabib that night, he was fighting for something far greater… pic.twitter.com/bO0pxltXcE

— Justin Gaethje 🇺🇸 (@Justin_Gaethje) October 20, 2025

Gaethje looks back at 2020 defeat to Khabib

“No man on earth was beating Khabib (Nurmagomedov) that night, he was fighting for something far greater…,” Gaethje posted on X.

“I lost the fight so I was very upset,” Gaethje said. “I understood what he was going through. Everything was very public, I knew his father had just passed away in the last month or two. I can imagine how emotional that could be. …I went to him and said, ‘I think you just made your dad pretty happy.’”

Quotes via Bloody Elbow

Do you believe Justin Gaethje has what it takes to dethrone Ilia Topuria and finally become UFC lightweight champion? If so, how will he be able to get the job done? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!