Former UFC BMF champ Justin Gaethje was reportedly very angry that Charles Oliveira received a lightweight title shot at UFC 317 instead of him.
The former interim 155-pound champion knew he was taking a big risk when he defended his BMF title against featherweight king Max Holloway in April of 2024. The decision backfired, and he was shockingly knocked out in the final seconds of their five-round bout. Yet despite the recent loss, he still believes he should have been next in line for the vacant lightweight belt, not Charles Oliveira.
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“I was with Justin Gaethje a lot this week… And he was p***ed, he feels like he was certainly passed over in favor of Charles Oliveira for this opportunity against Ilia Topuria,” UFC play-by-play voice Jon Anik said on his podcast this week. “And I think what Justin Gaethje and his manager Ali Abdelaziz are looking for is just some sort of guarantee they will be next.”
Justin Gaethje record 26-5 (19 knockouts, 2 submissions)
The Brazilian, who split his last four fights, will be facing Ilia Topuria for the vacant belt next month. However, he won his most recent clash — a unanimous decision win in a rematch against Michael Chandler. His last loss was on the same card as Gaethje’s knockout defeat to Holloway. It came via a razor-thin decision to former No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan. He also owns a 2022 first-round submission win over the American.
Gaethje rebounded from his loss to Holloway with a decision victory over Rafael Fiziev in March. However, it clearly was not enough for UFC matchmakers, despite also having three wins in his last four bouts.
Oliveira will face former featherweight champ Topuria for the vacant lightweight belt in the main event of UFC 317 on June 28. Reigning 155-pound champ Islam Makhachev vacated the title for an opportunity to move up to fight Jack Della Maddalena later this year for the welterweight title.
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