UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje provided his latest health update following his war with Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June.
In one of the biggest upsets of the year, Gaethje finished Topuria via fourth-round TKO due to a corner stoppage in what was an absolute war of a fight on the White House lawn.
Over two months since that fight, Gaethje says that he is still feeling the effects of it, as he is still dealing with injuries that he racked up in the contest.
Justin Gaethje Provides Health Update
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Gaethje provided a health update, revealing that his hands are still injured from his war with Topuria and that he still can’t hit anything in training.
“I still can’t punch anything. Both of my hands are still hurt from the fight so I’m just going to enjoy being the champion for the rest of the year because I fought two times already in the first six months,” Gaethje said (via MMAFighting.com).
What this shows is that while Topuria may have taken the most damage during the UFC Freedom 250 main event, Gaethje did not emerge unscathed from he bout, as he is also banged up, and it’s one of the reasons why he won’t step back in the cage this year.
Will Justin Gaethje Fight Again?
We know that Gaethje won’t fight again in 2026, but will he fight again at all, or will he retire? He says he’s still unsure.
“Put everything on paper, pros and cons, talk to my family and everybody that loves me to be honest with me and then I’ll make a decision,” Gaethje said.
As for who he will fight next if he does come back, it’s up in the air, but he doubts it’s a Topuria rematch.
“Ultimately, the UFC makes the decision on who I’m going to fight next. I guess if I’m not fighting until next year, (Topuria is) probably not going to fight until next year, too, seeing as he’s still recovering from some things. I don’t think that’s my next fight, in my gut,” Gaethje said.
UFC Champion Justin Gaethje Provides Latest Health Update