Justin Gaethje rules out potential quick turnaround to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 302: “We’ll see if Oliveira sh*ts the bed again”

By Harry Kettle - April 8, 2024

Justin Gaethje has ruled out the idea of a quick turnaround to battle Islam Makhachev if he can get past Max Holloway.

Justin Gaethje and Islam Makhachev

For the longest time now, Justin Gaethje has been recognized as one of the best fighters in the UFC. He’s incredibly entertaining, he has a list of highlight reel finishes, and he doesn’t know when to quit. At UFC 300, he will defend his BMF title for the first time when he takes on Max Holloway.

The expectation is that carnage will ensue in one way or the other. As we know, though, many believe the winner could go on to fight Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight championship.

RELATED: Islam Makhachev explains why Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway at UFC 300 is a “useless fight”

However, Gaethje sees things slightly differently.

Gaethje’s thoughts

“Ideally, they’re calling this Oliveira-Tsarukyan fight a title eliminator, so the winner of that fight fights (Makhachev) in June, then I fight the winner of that in preferably Madison Square Garden in November,” Gaethje told MMA Junkie. “That sounds like a perfect timeline for me. I’ll definitely have my time to rest, recovery and retrain myself to get ready for that fight. That’s the perfect situation for me. We’ll see if Oliveira sh*ts the bed again. I think if Tsarukyan wins he takes it because they are calling this a title eliminator, so whoever wins is going to have to fight that fight.”

“I think if you appreciate the way that this sport works, I fought (Rafael) Fiziev, I knocked out the No. 2 guy and there’s nobody left,” Gaethje said. “Oliveira was supposed to fight him in October. I was supposed to fight the winner of that fight in February. But it did not work out like that so this is where we’re at, and this is what I have to take care of.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Will Justin Gaethje’s prediction come to fruition? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


Topics:

Islam Makhachev Justin Gaethje Max Holloway UFC