Nonetheless competing subsequent weekend at UFC 311, Justin Gaethje will look to catapult himself into title competition towards Islam Makhachev, with a victory towards incoming former-foe, Rafael Fiziev.
Gaethje, who was first slated to co-headline subsequent weekend’s pay-per-view card towards the surging, Dan Hooker, noticed the pairing fall to the wayside after the Kiwi striker fractured his left hand within the weeks forward of the pairing.
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And shifting onto a battle with former opponent, Fiziev whom he initially defeated in a contentious majority choice win again at UFC 286, Gaethje admitted he would quite have taken on Arman Tsarukyan or ex-foe, Charles Oliveira at the beginning.
Justin Gaethje setting sights on Islam Makhachev battle after UFC 313
Chasing one last title cost earlier than hanging up his embellished gloves, Arizona striker, Gaethje advised The Jim Rome Present this night how he hopes a victory over Fiziev can lastly propel him to a title cost towards Makhachev later this yr.
“I mean, I’m always shooting for (Islam) Makachev, you know, right now he’s the champion,” Justin Gaethje defined. “And we noticed with (Dustin) Poirier, you realize, I beat him after which he fought for the belt. I feel timing is such an enormous issue on this sport.
With Charles (Oliveira) already dropping to him twice (sic), him being forward of me, (Arman) Tsarukyan having his likelihood and pulling out, you realize, the day of the battle or the night time earlier than, is certainly detrimental to his possibilities,” Justin Gaethje defined. “To Poirier coming up and Makachev saying he needs to fight somebody else first, really, there’s really not a lot of guys. And so with the huge win here and certainly a finish, I think they’re [the UFC] gonna have to consider me.”
