Dana White Calls Gaethje’s Retirement Ultimatum “Whacky” After UFC 317 Shake-Up
Wow, UFC 317 was absolutely wild, and if you’ve been following the aftermath, you know that Justin Gaethje is right at the center of some heavy post-fight drama. So here’s the deal — Ilia Topuria just obliterated Charles Oliveira in the very first round to claim the vacant UFC lightweight title. That knockout sent shockwaves through the division and immediately brought up the question: who’s next for Topuria?
And just like that, Paddy Pimblett jumps into the cage right after the fight for a totally unexpected faceoff. Dana White didn’t love that — said straight up in the press conference that Pimblett shouldn't have been in there. It wasn’t planned, and the whole thing felt like it came out of nowhere. But you know how UFC loves a good spectacle, and let’s be honest — a Topuria vs. Pimblett title bout would be massive from a fan and business perspective, no matter what the rankings say.
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Now, this is where Justin Gaethje comes in. “The Highlight,” who’s always been known for leaving it all in the cage, made a bold claim: if he doesn’t get the next title shot, he’s done. Retiring. That’s it. It’s a title fight or bust for him.
Dana White’s response? Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a green light. In his own words, White said, “If you’re thinking about retiring, you know how I feel about that — you should probably retire.” He went on to call Gaethje’s ultimatum “pretty whacky.” And he didn’t say it with malice. In fact, he praised Gaethje for being exciting, loyal, and someone the UFC loves to have on the roster. But Dana’s point was clear: when fighters start talking about retirement in the context of match-making leverage, that’s a red flag.
And here's the kicker — Gaethje has legit reasons to feel snubbed. After all, he KO’d Dustin Poirier for the BMF title and then took a short-notice fight against Rafael Fiziev when Dan Hooker dropped out. He’s been a company man, taking tough fights, putting on wars, and never backing down. Even Poirier himself recently said he thinks Gaethje deserves the next shot over guys like Paddy or Tsarukyan.
But the politics of the UFC title scene don’t always follow merit. Tsarukyan, despite being the backup fighter at UFC 317, isn’t next in line according to Dana. And Gaethje, already 0-2 in lightweight title fights, doesn’t seem to be Topuria’s pick either. The Spaniard appears more interested in marketable names than climbing the official rankings ladder.
At the end of the day, it’s all about business. Dana White’s response, Gaethje’s frustration, and that surprise Pimblett faceoff — it’s all part of the chaos that makes the UFC so unpredictable. Whether Gaethje truly walks away or gets the fight he wants remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: this division just got way more interesting.
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