LAS VEGAS – UFC president Dana White says there’s no need for Justin Gaethje to be frustrated.
After Gaethje (22-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) voiced his discontent for being left out of the lightweight title picture, White was reassuring Thursday that big things are on the horizon for him.
“He fits very well in all this,” White said at the UFC 260 pre-fight news conference. “After this plays out, he’s probably next in line. It depends on what happens with Dustin and Conor.”
Gaethje is coming off a title fight loss to then champion Khabib Nurmagomedov last October at UFC 254 and is the only top-five lightweight without a fight booked. The UFC opted to go with Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155-pound title at UFC 262, but White said Gaethje – who especially thought Oliveira wasn’t worthy – could very well could be next in line depending on how things play out in the trilogy between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.
“You know how that is. Timing is everything when these fights happen, how much damage did the guy who won take and what kind of personal sh*t does he have going on,” White said. “You know all that stuff factors into when the next fight would be, but Justin Gaethje couldn’t be in a better position.”
Despite his loss to Nurmagomedov, Gaethje is currently sitting at No. 2 in the UFC’s official 155-pound rankings. Prior to the loss, Gaethje had notched four consecutive stoppage wins, which included snapping Tony Ferguson’s 12-fight winning streak to claim the interim title.
