Islam Makhachev shares thoughts on Justin Gaethje’s MMA future

UFC champion Islam Makhachev has shared his thoughts on the future of the new lightweight king, Justin Gaethje, who defeated Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250.

At White House, Gaethje shocked the world, becoming the new undisputed lightweight champion of the MMA elite promotion.

The 37-year-old achieved this goal by forcing Topuria to quit on the stool. After ‘El-Matador’ narrowly edged two highly competitive opening rounds, Gaethje turned the contest on its head with a devastating right hand, followed by a relentless barrage of punches that left the Spaniard badly swollen and bloodied.

Now, many are questioning what exactly is next for Gaethje in the UFC. Some want to see him compete for as long as he can physically, whereas others feel that retirement would be a good option given his age and the condition of his body.

In a recent interview, Islam Makhachev weighed in on the Gaethje debate.

“I don’t know. I think this guy make like enough in this sport,” Makhachev told MMA Junkie of Gaethje.

“He became UFC champion. He also has many records. What’s next for him? If I’m matchmaker, I don’t know honestly. But this guy is not in good shape right now. I saw him last week. I said, ‘Hey, why you become fat?’ He’s just enjoying the belt. He deserves it.”

Makhachev added that he has been saying it for a long time that Justin is a warrior and he needs to be knocked out to stop him.

“I said before that fight, Justin is a warrior,” Makhachev said. “He’s going to fight. You have to knock him out to stop him. This guy is going to fight all rounds. Maybe Topuria a little bit underestimated him. I don’t know. It is what it is. This is MMA, small gloves, and very dangerous sport.”