Justin Gaethje and Ali Abdelaziz after UFC 291. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @aliabdelaziz
Justin Gaethje recently indicated that he might end his career if he didn't get the chance to fight for the UFC belt, a statement that surprised fans and generated repercussions behind the scenes. Scheduled for the main event of UFC 324, in a fight for the interim lightweight title against Paddy Pimblett , the American publicly pressured the organization by raising the possibility of retirement, but now he has backtracked to explain the context of the situation.
In an interview with 'UFC on TNT', Justin Gaethje revealed that the controversy was heavily influenced by his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, and admitted that the threat to hang up his gloves arose in a moment of emotion. According to the former BMF champion, he ended up taking the situation personally and believed he deserved a bigger opportunity, which ultimately resulted in the desired outcome.
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“I definitely got what I asked for. Actually, it was my manager who put me in this situation. I probably said it myself (to retire), we are emotional beings and we get attached to personal things. I take everything personally and I thought I deserved something,” said Justin Gaethje.
Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324
Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will face off in the main event of UFC 324, in a duel valid for the lightweight division belt (up to 70,3 kg). The fight was confirmed after Ilia Topuria announced a break from her career to resolve personal issues, leading UFC president Dana White to set the interim fight, scheduled for January 24th.
The organization expects the winner of this duel to later face Topuria in a title unification bout.
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