Justin Gaethje thinks the UFC turned its lightweight division into a laughing stock by allowing Charles Oliveira to fight Michael Chandler for the vacant 155lb title at UFC 262.
‘The Highlight’ hasn’t fought since October 2020. The 32-year-old fell short in his bid to unify the division against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254. Gaethje ended up being choked unconscious in the second round. The loss to Khabib snapped Gaethje’s four-fight winning streak. He’s now set to square off against Chandler at UFC 268 on November 6.
The three-time Bellator champion got a shot at the vacant lightweight title earlier this year. Chandler started well and seemed to be on the verge of finishing Oliveira in round one. Unfortunately, the tide quickly turned in round two and he was knocked out by ‘Do Bronx’ who claimed UFC gold 10 years after making his promotional debut.
Despite the fact he was coming off a loss, Gaethje believed he should’ve been given an immediate shot once Nurmagomedov had relinquished the title. He says by opting against him in favour of Oliveira and Chandler, the UFC made their lightweight division a laughingstock.
“I was pissed off at the time,” Gaethje told ESPN. “I thought this was the most coveted title in the UFC when Khabib was around, and it turned into almost the laughingstock of the UFC overnight. When you have Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler fighting each other for the title, to be the best — those two weren’t best. It was me and [Dustin] Poirier. That should have happened.”
Dustin Poirier is expected to be next in line for a shot at the 155lb belt. ‘The Diamond’ is fresh off two wins over Conor McGregor in 2021 and is widely regarded as the best lightweight fighter in MMA.
Do you agree with Justin Gaethje? Has the UFC’s lightweight division become a “laughingstock” after they booked Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler for the title?