Justin Gaethje, who suffered a brutal knockout and a broken nose in a recent UFC fight, plans to return to the octagon but will take at least six months off from physical contact to recover.
Justin Gaethje’s got a comeback in mind. But hey, he ain’t in a hurry.
Remember UFC 300? Gaethje got a nasty knockout from Max Holloway in the BMF title fight. Ouch. Broke his nose too, right at the start. He took a whopping 180 significant strikes, 62 of ’em to the head. Tough night, huh? When asked about his UFC return, he was a bit vague. But he did say he’d be laying low for most of 2024. No contact in the gym, just planning his next move.
“In a metaphorical sense, I’m ready now. But physically? Nah, I gotta take care of me,” Gaethje spilled to MMA Hangout. “Repeated concussions ain’t no joke. I’d be a fool to jump back into training before 180 days.
“I can do cardio, stay in shape. That’s the plan. The older I get, the harder it is to stay in top form. So, I gotta keep moving. But, no physical contact for a while. I gotta preserve myself. … I’m thinking six months, at least, before I take any more hits. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be training.”
Before the Holloway fight, most folks saw Gaethje as the top contender for Islam Makhachev‘s lightweight title. Now, with the division getting more competitive, he’s got his work cut out for him.
But hey, if Dustin Poirier pulls off an upset against Makhachev at UFC 302 on June 1, maybe Gaethje gets a third shot at Poirier. MMA’s a wild ride, and things can change fast.
“It’s a crazy game,” Gaethje said. “We’ll see how the Dustin-Makhachev fight goes. Crazy game.”