Has Gaethje already “gotten his revenge” on Oliveira and Holloway?! Now he wants a UFC star

Justin Gaethje displayed some rather twisted logic when asked about his next opponent. “The Highlight” would love to have a rematch with Charles Oliveira or Max Holloway, but he realized that, actually… he’s already done that. So the American named someone else entirely.

The main event of UFC Freedom 250, which took place at the White House, produced an unexpected upset. Justin Gaethje had a history of brutal battles in the Octagon, but despite his vast experience, many had written him off as a sure loss in his matchup against Ilia Topuria.

The Georgian himself, holding a Spanish passport, seemed extremely confident of another victory. “El Matador” was already celebrating his victory before the event even began. Telling videos appeared on his social media, and in his Instagram profile description, Topuria had even updated his record ahead of time, adding another win to it.

Reality brutally put those predictions to the test. Gaethje was deadly precise and consistently demolished his opponent. With every passing minute, Topuria took more and more damage, until, sitting on a stool before the final round, he blurted out, “Enough already.”

Gaethje would like to face Oliveira or Holloway. But he believes he’s already gotten his revenge.

The popular “The Highlight” is one of those fighters who takes his health very seriously. The American has no intention of returning to the Octagon just to collect another paycheck. Every subsequent fight must be worthwhile for him.

So the discussion about Gaethje’s next opponent is still ongoing. In an interview with UFC on Paramount+, the American admitted that if the decision were entirely up to him, he’d be happy to face Charles Oliveira or Max Holloway again. Both have beaten him in the past, so the sporting case for a rematch is clear.

Given the head-to-head matchup between the Brazilian and the Hawaiian, “do Bronx” would seem to be the more likely candidate to get that opportunity. Oliveira defeated Holloway by decision, thereby strengthening his position in the queue.

Gaethje, however, offered his own perspective on the situation. “The Highlight” viewed his victory over Topuria as a sort of indirect rematch against both of his former conquerors. Since “El Matador” had previously defeated both Oliveira and Holloway, the American apparently felt that he had settled both scores by defeating him.

– If I had to choose an opponent myself? It would be Oliveira or Holloway. However, since Topuria beat them both, I figure I’ve already gotten my rematch.

So, with two potential rivals having been ruled out in such an unusual way, Gaethje set his sights on a much more lucrative option. He would like to finally face Conor McGregor in the Octagon.

” So I think it would be McGregor. It would be nice to shut him up,” Gaethje said .

So it seems that at this stage of his career, “The Highlight” would be more inclined to take a financially lucrative fight than another purely athletic challenge. A bout with McGregor would undoubtedly generate enormous interest and would be one of the biggest events the UFC could put together right now.

However, the Irishman’s health remains a concern. After years away from the Octagon, McGregor finally returned to competition, but suffered another injury within the first few seconds of the fight. The injury has once again sidelined him for an extended period, leaving a potential bout with Gaethje in serious doubt for the time being.