What’s Next For Justin Gaethje?

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone as UFC 254 put a bow on Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) final trip to “Fight Island” in 2020, located on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Walt Harris, who suffered his second straight knockout loss after coming up short against Alexander Volkov (recap here). And Jared Cannonier, who saw his title fight hopes go up in smoke after getting throttled by former Middleweight kingpin, Robert Whittaker (fight recap here).

But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now a few days removed from the show?

Justin Gaethje.

The hard-hitting Lightweight came into his title unification bout against division king, Khabib Nurmagomedov, with plenty of confidence and support behind him. That’s because he packs enough power in his punch to sleep anyone standing in front of him. Plus, he had yet to utilize his wrestling, which his coach dubbed a “secret weapon” ahead of the pivotal showdown.

And if there was ever a fight where he needed it, it would be against Nurmagomedov.

But as Gaethje quickly realized, nothing was good enough to faze “The Eagle,” as once again the dominant champion proved that he is simply on another level. While two judges did give Justin the first round, Khabib won the striking exchanges, taking some of “Highlight’s” best shots, eating them right up and walking his foe down to deliver his own.

It’s a scary thought when you really think about since Gaethje is usually the one doing the stalking, and he usually sleeps the man standing in front of him once he connects. Khabib, however, was Terminator-like in his approach. Even the kicks that Gaethje thought were hurting Khabib didn’t do much to slow him down.

Broken foot be damned.

In the end, Khabib managed to sink in a triangle choke that put Gaethje to sleep momentarily because for some reason or another the referee on duty didn’t see the first two taps.

Despite the loss, Gaethje’s stock won’t take the slightest hit, as he showed true sportsmanship after the fight, a class act all the way around. That being said, with Nurmagomedov announcing his retirement after the fight, Gaethje suddenly finds himself in great position for another title fight in the near future.

With Khabib leaving, things change drastically for several fighters. The planned fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier suddenly becomes a 155-pound bout instead of Welterweight — which Dana White wanted all along.

Then we have Michael Chandler, who is more than ready to make his UFC debut. A four-fight tournament with all of those combatants is logical. If for whatever reason McGregor and Poirier insist on fighting at 170 pounds, then just book Gaethje versus Chandler for the vacant strap.

And I’m not forgetting about Tony Ferguson, but he doesn’t seem to want anything to do with Chandler, and he got dominated by “Highlight” in his last fight. So whether it’s a title eliminator or an actual fight for the belt straight away, Gaethje will likely be welcoming Chandler to the Octagon next.