Justin Gaethje refuses to fight anyone but the champion

Justin Gaethje, a well-known combatant successful the lightweight class of the UFC, does not fell however frustrated helium is with the concern surrounding his adjacent opponent. The 34-year-old has repeatedly made it wide that helium does not privation to judge immoderate combat but for the championship. His connection to ESPN caught the attraction of fans and experts astir the world:

"Absolutely not," helium said soon erstwhile asked if helium would hold to combat Paddy Pimblett.

The concern successful the UFC lightweight part is presently precise uncertain. New champion Ilija Topuria has made it wide that helium wants Paddy Pimblett arsenic his archetypal opponent, fueled further by their unofficial clash astatine UFC 317 and the years of hostility betwixt the two.

Meanwhile, aggregate challengers are vying for a accidental to triumph the belt. There's Arman Tsarukyan, who galore assertion is presently "on suspension" due to the fact that the UFC is keeping him connected the sidelines aft disrupting the main lawsuit astatine UFC 311 successful January. On the different hand, Max Holloway, the existent BMF champion, is pushing for a rubric changeable aft precocious defeating Dustin Poirier astatine UFC 318. There's besides Gaethje himself, who precocious defeated Rafael Fiziev astatine UFC 313, and has publically stated his tendency to situation for the belt.

Dissatisfaction with the system

Justin didn't mince words erstwhile talking astir however things are tally successful the UFC. His vexation stems from what helium sees arsenic an unfair matchmaking system.

"The champion (Islam Makhachev) called to combat me, but past helium vacated the belt, and they brought successful a caller feline (Topuria) and gave the combat to idiosyncratic (Charles Oliveira) who's 2-2 successful his past 4 fights."

He went connected to explain:

“So if their algorithm and their mathematics accidental they conscionable request to exploit maine until idiosyncratic beats me, past I’m truly going to person to rethink what I’m adjacent doing here.”

Finally, helium added an important constituent astir his values and however helium views the sport:

“I signed up for a merit-based system. I unrecorded by that.”

Justin’s stance makes it wide that helium won’t judge immoderate combat conscionable to enactment active, but alternatively seeks a just accidental based connected results and merit. If a loop combat doesn’t travel his way, this combatant is earnestly considering retiring from the sport.