Justin Gaethje finally became undisputed UFC champion in June. Three months later, he is not completely sure he wants to fight again.
The 37-year-old has opened up about retirement, the damage accumulated across a long career and what would need to happen before he commits to another lightweight title fight.
That leaves Arman Tsarukyan waiting.
Tsarukyan strengthened his case at UFC 331 by knocking out Mauricio Ruffy in the first round, taking his winning streak to six and putting himself right back at the front of the lightweight queue. Gaethje has now acknowledged that if he decides to defend the championship, Tsarukyan is the man he expects to face.
So, is Gaethje actually retiring? And how close are we to seeing Gaethje vs Tsarukyan?
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Is Justin Gaethje Retiring?
Not yet. Gaethje has not announced his retirement, but he has admitted that walking away is a genuine option.
Speaking on the FLAGRANT podcast after UFC 331, the lightweight champion said he had not made a decision on his future and questioned whether he still needed to compete after finally reaching the top of the division.
Gaethje is 37 and has been competing in combat sports since 2008. He explained that protecting his long-term health matters far more to him than chasing another payday. At the same time, he feels his win over Ilia Topuria was arguably the best performance of his career. That is the dilemma.
He has finally achieved the one thing missing from his UFC career, but he also feels capable of competing at the highest level.
For now, there is no retirement announcement and no next fight booked.
Why Is Gaethje Considering Retirement?
This does not sound like a fighter who has suddenly lost interest. Gaethje is still dealing with the physical cost of his recent fights.
He revealed that he has a deep bruise in his knee and is still unable to punch properly with one hand. He also pointed to the amount of preparation that went into his two fights this year.
Gaethje beat Paddy Pimblett over five rounds at UFC 324 in January to win the interim lightweight title. Then came Topuria.
Their June fight at UFC Freedom 250 became another brutal Gaethje battle. Topuria hurt him during the contest, but Gaethje turned the fight around and eventually forced the champion’s corner to stop it after round four.
It made Gaethje undisputed champion at the third attempt. Our UFC Freedom 250 results recap covers exactly how that title fight unfolded. UFC Freedom 250 results
Gaethje has made it clear he intends to spend the rest of 2026 recovering before deciding what comes next.
That makes an early title defence extremely unlikely.
Will Justin Gaethje Fight Arman Tsarukyan?
If Gaethje fights again, Tsarukyan now looks like the clearest option. More importantly, Gaethje himself appears to agree.
He said Tsarukyan is “the next in line” and indicated that if and when he defends the lightweight championship, that is the matchup he expects.
That is a significant change in tone.
Tsarukyan had spent the days after UFC 331 questioning whether Gaethje actually wanted the fight. He even suggested the champion might prefer retirement or another opponent rather than face him.
Gaethje has now pushed back on that idea. The issue is not Tsarukyan. The issue is whether Gaethje wants another fight at all.
What Did Arman Tsarukyan Do at UFC 331?
Tsarukyan could hardly have made his case any clearer.
Mauricio Ruffy arrived at UFC 331 with serious momentum and 13 knockout wins from 14 professional victories. The fight lasted less than one round.
Tsarukyan stopped Ruffy with elbows at 4:56 of the opening round, extending his winning streak to six and improving his professional record to 24-3.
That was important because Tsarukyan had spent a long time in an awkward position.
He was originally supposed to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight championship at UFC 311 in January 2025 before pulling out because of a back injury.
The title opportunity disappeared. Since then, he has had to keep winning.
Dan Hooker came next and Tsarukyan submitted him. Ruffy was supposed to provide another serious test. Tsarukyan knocked him out.
Our Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy piece covered the matchup before UFC 331, but the result has changed the conversation completely.
Is Tsarukyan Definitely Getting the Next UFC Title Shot?
Not officially. That distinction matters.
Tsarukyan has produced the results to make an extremely strong case, and Gaethje has publicly recognised him as next in line.
The UFC has still not announced the fight. There is another complication too.
Ilia Topuria remains ranked No.1 in the lightweight division, while Tsarukyan currently sits at No.2. Topuria lost the belt to Gaethje but has been pushing for another opportunity.
Gaethje vs Topuria 2 would obviously be a huge fight commercially. Tsarukyan’s argument is simpler. He has won six straight.
Since losing his UFC debut to Islam Makhachev in 2019, Tsarukyan has gone 11-1. His recent run includes Charles Oliveira, Dan Hooker and now Ruffy.
There are not many more boxes he can realistically tick.
Our latest UFC rankings page tracks how the lightweight division currently looks. UFC rankings 2026
When Could Gaethje vs Tsarukyan Happen?
2027 looks far more realistic than 2026.
Gaethje has said he wants to spend the rest of this year enjoying being champion and recovering before making a decision about his future.
That takes the remaining UFC calendar out of the equation unless his plans suddenly change. Tsarukyan is ready much sooner.
After UFC 331, he said he was healthy and could potentially return before the end of the year. The problem is there is little reason for him to risk his position against another contender if the championship fight is available after Gaethje recovers.
Waiting may be frustrating. It is probably the sensible move.
The remaining confirmed cards can be found in our UFC schedule. UFC schedule 2026
Could Gaethje Vacate the Lightweight Title?
Potentially, but there is no indication that he plans to do so immediately. Gaethje remains the UFC lightweight champion.
The situation becomes more interesting if he reaches 2027 and decides he does not want to fight again.
At that point, retirement would naturally mean giving up the title and forcing the UFC to create a new championship fight.
Tsarukyan would be extremely difficult to leave out of that conversation.
Topuria remains highly ranked. Charles Oliveira is still around the top of the division. Max Holloway and Paddy Pimblett are also sitting within striking distance.
Lightweight is never short of contenders. What it currently lacks is certainty.
Could Gaethje Fight Conor McGregor Instead?
There is another name Gaethje keeps mentioning. Conor McGregor.
Gaethje said a McGregor fight would interest him, particularly with McGregor approaching the final fight on his UFC contract.
That would obviously be enormous financially. It would also create a very different reaction from the lightweight contenders.
McGregor has been inactive because of injury and has not built anything resembling Tsarukyan’s current winning run at 155lb.
From a rankings perspective, Tsarukyan is the obvious championship fight.
From a business perspective, McGregor is McGregor.
Whether the UFC ever has to choose between those two scenarios remains to be seen.
What Happens Next?
For Gaethje, probably not much in the immediate future. That is the point. He wants time.
The lightweight champion has spent years in some of the most damaging fights in UFC history and finally achieved the goal that kept pulling him back towards another title run.
He does not need to decide his future this week. Tsarukyan has done his bit too.
The Ruffy knockout removed another obstacle and Gaethje has now publicly accepted that the Armenian is next in line if he defends.
So the lightweight title picture has become surprisingly simple.
- If Justin Gaethje continues fighting, Arman Tsarukyan is the leading candidate to face him.
- If Gaethje retires, the UFC needs a new lightweight champion.
The only thing missing is Gaethje’s decision.
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