Interim UFC lightweight titleholder Justin Gaethje is fighting two opponents at UFC Freedom 250: Ilia Topuria and Father Time.
‘The Highlight’ turned back the clock in January, handing Paddy Pimblett his first UFC defeat and claiming the interim belt. Now 36, Gaethje is on borrowed time as he enters his fourth undisputed title fight.
He and perennial rival Dustin Poirier share a combined 0-5 record in undisputed title fights, with Gaethje now facing another troubling trend that has plagued UFC fighters for years.
GettyJustin Gaethje has 15 fights and 15 bonuses in the UFC
UFC Undisputed Title Fight Record of Fighters Aged 35 and Over (125–170 Lbs)
UFC fighters in men’s divisions below middleweight have a startlingly low win rate in undisputed title fights. At UFC White House, Gaethje will become the fifth fighter to try and buck the trend in the lightweight division.
| Fighter Name | Division | Age When Defeated | Defeated By |
| Joseph Benavidez | Flyweight | 35 | Deiveson Figueiredo |
| Joseph Benavidez | Flyweight | 35 | Deiveson Figueiredo |
| Deiveson Figueiredo | Flyweight | 35 | Brandon Moreno |
| Alexandre Pantoja | Flyweight | 35 | Joshua Van |
| Urijah Faber | Bantamweight | 35 | Dominick Cruz |
| Dominick Cruz | Bantamweight | 35 | Henry Cejudo |
| T.J. Dillashaw | Bantamweight | 36 | Aljamain Sterling |
| Henry Cejudo | Bantamweight | 36 | Aljamain Sterling |
| Kenny Florian | Featherweight | 37 | José Aldo |
| Frankie Edgar | Featherweight | 37 | Max Holloway |
| The Korean Zombie | Featherweight | 35 | Alexander Volkanovski |
| Michael Chandler | Lightweight | 35 | Charles Oliveira |
| Alexander Volkanovski | Lightweight | 35 | Islam Makhachev |
| Dustin Poirier | Lightweight | 35 | Islam Makhachev |
| Charles Oliveira | Lightweight | 35 | Ilia Topuria |
| Pat Miletich | Welterweight | 35 | Carlos Newton |
| Gil Castilo | Welterweight | 37 | Matt Hughes |
| Demian Maia | Welterweight | 39 | Tyron Woodley |
| Tyron Woodley | Welterweight | 36 | Kamaru Usman |
| Jorge Masvidal | Welterweight | 35 | Kamaru Usman |
| Jorge Masvidal | Welterweight | 36 | Kamaru Usman |
| Kamaru Usman | Welterweight | 35 | Leon Edwards |
| Kamaru Usman | Welterweight | 35 | Leon Edwards |
| Colby Covington | Welterweight | 35 | Leon Edwards |
| Belal Muhammad | Welterweight | 36 | Jack Della Maddalena |
- Alexandre Pantoja notched the first 35+ title win against Kai-Kara France at UFC 317.
- Alexander Volkanovski broke the featherweight trend twice-over in back-to-back fights with Diego Lopes.
- Tyron Woodley owns two 35+ title wins against Demian Maia and Darren Till at welterweight.
- Belal Muhammad defeated Leon Edwards at UFC 304 to pick up another win for welterweight.
- Justin Gaethje won the interim lightweight belt at 35.*
*More losses have occurred in interim title fights (such as Tony Ferguson vs. Gaethje), but they have been omitted for clarity.
| Division | Record in title fights (aged 35+) |
| Flyweight | 1-4 |
| Bantamweight | 0-4 |
| Featherweight | 2-3 |
| Lightweight | 0-4 |
| Welterweight | 3-10 |
| Total: | 6-25 |
| Winrate % | 19.4% |
Fighters aged 35 and above have won just 19.4% of undisputed UFC title fights fought between 125 and 170 pounds. They are still winless in the bantamweight and lightweight divisions, discounting interim title fights. Gaethje has the tall task of becoming the first fighter in his age bracket to win an undisputed lightweight title fight.
Standing in his way is two-division champion Ilia Topuria, who is six years younger than Gaethje.
Who’s Fighting at UFC Freedom 250?
- (champion) Ilia Topuria (17-0) vs. (interim champion) Justin Gaethje (27-5); lightweight title
- Alex Pereira (13-3) vs. Ciryl Gane (13-2); interim heavyweight title
- Sean O’Malley (19-3) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (14-2); bantamweight
- Derrick Lewis (29-13) vs. Josh Hokit (9-0); heavyweight
- Mauricio Ruffy (13-2) vs. Michael Chandler (23-10); lightweight
- Bo Nickal (8-1) vs. Kyle Daukaus (17-4); middleweight
- Diego Lopes (27-8) vs. Steve Garcia (19-5); featherweight
Gaethje has the opportunity to make UFC White House a trend-setting event in more ways than one, should he secure a win over Topuria in the biggest fight of his career.
Justin Gaethje Fights UFC’s Harshest Record at White House Event