Justin Gaethje (image via YouTube)

By FCF Staff

Following his stunning, highlight reel knockout to Max Holloway at UFC 300, it seems clear we won’t see Justin Gaethje fighting again until late 2024, at the earliest.

The lightweight contender faced Holloway at the recent event, and was brutally knocked out with just one second left in the BMF title fight. The bout marked the first time Gaethje had competed since last July, when he KO’d Dustin Poirier to claim the ceremonial, BMF belt.

More recently, “The Highlight” spoke with MMA Hangout. While discussing his timeline for a return, Gaethje reported he does not plan to do any hard sparring for quite some time (quotes via MMA Fighting.com).

“Metaphorically, I could be ready tomorrow, but physically, I do want to take care of myself,” Gaethje said. “I do think that repeated concussions, with me going to sleep like that, me receiving that shot, it would be foolish for me to jump back into training anytime before 180 days.

“I could do cardio, I can stay in shape, that’s what I want to try and do — especially [with] the older I get, the harder it is to get back to the best shape of my life, so I want to stay active. Obviously the physical contact is going to be limited for quite some time, just because I want to preserve myself. … I think six months, at least, before I get back to taking shots. But that doesn’t say that I wont be training the whole time.”

Heading into UFC 300, the 35-year-old Gaethje (25-5) hadn’t been stopped with strikes since 2018, when he was finished by Poirier in the fourth round of their first fight.

Gaethje has gone 3-2 in his last 5 contests, with his other loss during that stretch coming via submission to former champ, Charles Oliveira.