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Justin Gaethje has had two cracks at the UFC lightweight title. Unfortunately, both times ended with 'The Highlight' losing via submission. However, he has not yet given up on his dream of becoming a UFC champion, and news regarding Gaethje's UFC return since knocking out Dustin Poirier was just teased.
In a video uploaded to his official YouTube channel, Gaethje can be seen hitting the pads in an outdoor workout. However, the most important bit of the video (at 1:20 minutes) features him talking about his UFC return, including a potential date and who he will face next:
"I'm gonna fight in the future. I'm hoping March. I'm hoping I get Makhachev in March. I haven't heard anything about that, but I'll find out soon. I gotta get in shape though."
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Ever since capturing the vacant BMF title in a thrilling rematch with Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje has outlined his plans to challenge for the undisputed UFC lightweight championship for a third time. After Charles Oliveira withdrew from a UFC 294 clash with Islam Makhachev, 'The Highlight' was contacted by the UFC.
Unfortunately, he wasn't able to cut weight on such short notice, which ultimately led to the UFC enlisting the services of featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski, who went on to be knocked out by the Dagestani phenom. Afterwards, it appeared that the UFC would move forward with Oliveira.
So, while Gaethje is hopeful for a March title fight with Makhachev, it is more than likely that he will have to wait for the winner of Makhachev-Oliveira first. Though with no official date for the expected Makhachev-Oliveira bout, Gaethje is right to remain hopeful.
Justin Gaethje's last two UFC title fights
In addition to being the 'BMF' champion, Justin Gaethje is also a former UFC interim lightweight champion. His dream, however, is to capture undisputed gold at 155 pounds. He has already challenged for the title twice now. First, he faced Khabib Nurmagomedov, who submitted him within two rounds.
After rebounding with a hard-fought win over Michael Chandler, 'The Highlight' faced Charles Oliveira for the title. The Brazilian submitted him in round one, making him 0-2 in undisputed title fights in the promotion.
