Dana White Tells ‘Wacky' Former BMF Champ To Consider Retirement
UFC CEO Dana White does not respond well to threats, even when they come from a fighter who has stepped up to help the promotion.
Earlier this month, former interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, who also held the ceremonial BMF belt, presented the UFC with an ultimatum (via his manager, Ali Abdelaziz): give him a title shot or watch him walk away.
Justin Gaethje's Manager Offers The UFC An Ultimatum
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 08: Justin Gaethje warms up prior to his fight during the UFC 313 event at ... More T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC)
"Justin Gaethje fights the winner (of the UFC 317 main event)," Abdelaziz told Submission Radio in mid-June. 'He won three of his last four, he saved the UFC two times. They needed him and he's there. The guy did so much for the sport, and if anyone says he doesn't deserve it, and he said, '(If) I'm not going to fight for the title, I'm just going to hang up my gloves.' Justin is a very principled guy, and he really told me this yesterday.'
"I was with him at the fights. He said, 'I'm not going to get a title shot. I feel disrespected. I love being a UFC fighter, I love the UFC, but I feel that UFC has to love me back,' and he doesn't feel the love right now. At the end of the day, I think they love him, I think they will give him what he wanted. But at the end of the day, we have to see what happens first between Charles (Oliveira) and Ilia (Topuria)."
Justin Gaethje Opines On The UFC
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 08: Justin Gaethje holds a press conference after his fight during the UFC ... More 313 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Not long after Abdelaziz spoke to Submission Radio, Gaethje appeared on the Makeshift Podcast and spoke about his feelings on the UFC.
"They owe me a championship fight," Gaethje said. "I'm 3-1 in my last four. They came to my house begging me to fight Max Holloway at UFC 300. I consider that an exhibition fight. I don't mean that the loss is not on my record. I mean it had nothing to do with rankings. In the time that I did that, Dustin Poirier, who I just beat, got a good win over (Benoit) Saint Denis and then fought for the belt.
"Since I've won (vs. Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 in March), the champion (Islam Makhachev, who is also managed by Abdelaziz) has been saying he wants to fight me. So they could have easily set that up, but they didn't. Then he vacates, and then Oliveira is 2-2 in his last fights, already has a loss to Makhachev, and they bring a brand-new guy in (Topuria), and I get (expletive) again. So I'm not going to fight any of these (expletive) for fun unless they pay me so much more money."
"I'm the most consistent guy," Gaethje continued. "I think anybody that's ever performed for their company and been as consistent as an employee for their company gets a Christmas bonus, gets a thank you, get a 'Good (expletive) job.' Nah – I'm done doing (expletive) here. I love fighting for the UFC and I'd never want to fight somewhere else, but I'm not just going to throw my legacy away for anybody."
"I'm waiting for them to announce it," Gaethje said of his requested title fight. "(Oliveira is) 2-2, I'm 3-1. What do you want me to do? Not my fault (Dan) Hooker dropped out. (Arman) Tsarukyan should have got it, but he (expletive) himself. That's his fault."
Dana White Doesn't Take The Bait
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 28: Ilia Topuria of Georgia meets UFC chief executive officer Dana White ... More after defeating Charles Oliveira of Brazil to win the lightweight main event title during UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena on June 28, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by)
On Saturday night after Topuria won the vacant UFC lightweight title with a first-round knockout of Oliveira, White was asked to address Gaethje's comments.
"Listen, if you're thinking about retiring, you know how I feel about that, you should probably retire,' White said at the UFC 317 post-fight press conference.
'We love Justin Gaethje and Justin Gaethje did step up and he's been an exciting and fun fighter to have here in the UFC but to say unless you give me a title shot otherwise I'm retiring, that's pretty wacky.'
Gaethje is the No. 3 ranked fighter in the current UFC lightweight rankings.
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