Justin Gaethje is back in the gym.
“The Highlight” suffered a blistering fifth-round knockout loss at the hands of Max Holloway in the UFC 300 co-main event last month in Las Vegas. In the wake of his canvas-kissing defeat, Gaethje insisted he was “in great spirits” but also warned it would be “foolish” to jump back into training without first taking six months off.
“I could be ready tomorrow,” Gaethje told The Dan LeBatard Show. “But, physically, I do want to take care of myself. I do think that repeated concussions with me going to sleep like that, me receiving that shot, it would be foolish for me to to jump back into training anytime before 180 days. I could do cardio, I could stay in shape. That’s what I want to try to do.”
“The older I get, the harder it is to get back to the best shape of my life,” Gaethje continued. “So I wanna stay active. But obviously, the physical contact is gonna be limited for quite some time, just because I wanna preserve preserve myself. I think six months at least before I get back to taking shots, but that doesn’t say that I won’t be training the whole time.”
Fan reactions on Gaethje’s Instagram page were mixed.
Could’ve easily been fighting Makhachev this weekend but opted to give the fans what they wanted. Warrior! Hoping Dustin KO’s Makhachev and we get the [Poirier] trilogy.
Six months rest???
Start fighting different bro please it’s not technical enough.
The comeback is personal this time.
Most exciting fighter of all time for a reason.
I feel sorry for your next opponent.
I hope you will not follow Tony’s way.
Something’s off.
One more win and you fight for the belt Justin, anything is possible in this game.
Fans were also calling for comeback fights against Dan Hooker and Beneil Dariush.
Gaethje, 35, snapped a two-fight win streak with his loss to Holloway, which cost him the “BMF” title. Going limp against “Blessed” marked the first time “The Highlight” has been knocked out since getting stopped by Dustin Poirier at UFC on FOX 29.
See you in December?