The Justin Gaethje next fight news should arrive in the next few months. Until then, we look at three men he could face in his eventual UFC return and recap his big rematch win at UFC 313 in April.
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Who will Justin Gaethje next fight be against?
After suffering a vicious knockout loss, Gathje took a year off to let his brain recover. The decision proved to be a very smart one. Despite a late opponent change for his fight at UFC 313, “The Highlight” was able to score a decisive unanimous decision win over a very dangerous fighter in Rafael Fiziev.
He has a lot of options for his next bout, but clashes with Arman Tsarukyan, Dan Hooker, or Renato Moicano seem likely next.
- Ahalkalakets: Tsarukyan lost his lightweight title opportunity earlier this year after pulling out of 311 due to injury. He will need to win one more to earn another title shot. A No. 1 contender clash with Gaethje makes a lot of sense for both.
- Hangman: Gaethje was supposed to face Hooker at UFC 313. It is a fight built to be legendary. It is a booking fans would still like to happen in 2025.
- Moicano: If the promotion wants to put Gaethje in a crowd pleasing scrap and can’t rebook the Hooker fight, a matchup with Moicano would interest many fight fans and could be slotted into any pay-per-view co-main event slot.
Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev 2 recap
Gaethje was put in a tough spot by getting a late opponent change to a man he barely beat the first time they fought. Yet, he showed why he is a UFC legend by gutting out another hard fought victory over “Atman.”
What happened? Similar to their first fight two years ago, Gaethje and Fiziev went toe-to-toe in a tactical battle on the feet. While he can brawl with the best of them, the American’s fight IQ is underrated and he showcased it at UFC 313. Scoring a well-earned decision victory and getting back in the win column.
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The fallout: The win showed Justin Gaethje is still an elite fighter in the UFC’s lightweight division. And despite his devastating loss last year, he remains in the thick of the title chase.
What’s next? There are a lot of directions the UFC could go with Gaethje. But the best route would be to rebook a matchup with fan-favorite Dan Hooker.
What makes Justin Gaethje so popular?
The Violence King: There truly are very few fighters like Gaethje in UFC history. There have been many tough fighters, or brawlers with heavy hands, but few have been able to defeat elite talent as well. The 33-year-old is a rarity for being a crushing machine with an unbreakable will, but also has the skill and fight IQ to compete with the best lightweights of his era.
- Justin Gaethje Record: 26-5
- Justin Gaethje height: 5-foot-11
- Justin Gaethje stats: The man known as “The Highlight” has 20 knockouts and one submission victory during his legendary MMA career.
- The lightweight division has had some talented knockout artists, but not many have been as efficient as Gaethje in dealing out KOs. In his 25 wins, 80% have come by KO.
- Gaethje has a better knockout rate than heavyweight bombers Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou. The two men, many believe are the most devastating punchers in MMA history.
- Gaethje had a good bit of hype entering the promotion after having a memorable run as the World Series of Fighting lightweight champion before they were rebranded as the PFL.
- Gaethje has faced two former UFC and Bellator 155-pound champions during his time in the UFC
- Several of his fights, including against Chandler, Poirier, Eddie Alvarez, and Michael Johnson, either won or were nominated for “Fight of the Year” during the 12-month period when they occurred.
Justin Gaethje’s net worth
Money is often one of the greatest measuring sticks for a fighter’s success. As of 2025, Gaethje’s net worth is estimated to be over $5 million.
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