For almost a decade, Justin Gaethje has captivated UFC fans all round the world as one of the greatest lightweight competitors the lightweight division has ever seen. With an eye-pleasing style that is perfectly encapsulated by his forward pressure and heavy hands, Justin Gaethje, the Trevor Wittman protege, has remained a stalwart contender of the 155-lb class practically since his debut.
To date, “The Highlight” has competed in a total of five UFC championship contests, which include one interim bout, two undisputed matches and two BMF tilts. As the company ushers in a new era for itself after signing with premier streaming entity Paramount to kick off 2026, Justin Gaethje finds himself in the main event of the year’s first numbered event, UFC 324. In what will be his ninth headlining fight for the promotion, the American will come to blows with the face of the new wave of lightweight juggernauts making their way into contention, Paddy Pimblett.
Sizing Up Paddy Pimblett Before Justin Gaethje’s Next Tilt
A product of the stacked European regional scene, Pimblett found his way to stardom after a sterling stint in the venerable Cage Warriors promotion, earning their featherweight title and defending it once. Making his way to the UFC in 2021, “The Baddy” instantly became a favorite among audience members for his highlight reel stoppages and charismatic personality. Coming off of a monumental victory over previous Bellator champion Michael Chandler, Pimblett will contend for organizational gold for the first time.
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With current lightweight king, Ilia Topuria, out for sometime as he looks to get his personal life in check, Justin Gaethje is seeking to cement a future bout for undisputed gold as he prepares to capture the interim belt from the soaring Pimblett. Possessing a wealth of championship experience across his tenure in the UFC, the 37-year old makes the walk to Octagon with all the pressure in the world to keep himself relevant at the top of the heap at 155-lb.
Now, let’s take a look at all of Justin Gaethje’s UFC Championship matches:
UFC Interim Championship: Justin Gaethje vs. Tony Ferguson UFC 249
In the midst of the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the UFC found itself struggling to put on events, with public gatherings being prohibited across the entire world. Originally meant to go down on April 18th, UFC 249 was instead rescheduled to take place on May 9, with several key matchups having to be reshuffled. Taking the place of lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Gaethje got the call to take top billing for the card in a bid for the interim belt opposite divisional luminary Tony Ferguson.
Also known for his exciting method of fighting, Ferguson had previously attained the interim strap once before back in 2017 with a sensational submission over Kevin Lee at UFC 216. Garnering a wicked reputation for leaving his opposition comically bloodied and battered, fans were eager to witness two of the best finishers in the weight class clash.
While most expected a competitive firefight between the two striking specialists, Gaethje wound up absolutely outclassing the revered Ferguson, bludgeoning him across five rounds after landing over 140 strikes, which still stands as a UFC high for him. Securing the technical knockout in the fifth, “The Highlight” took hold of the interim gold, announcing himself as the next man up for the undisputed crown later on that year.
First UFC Championship: Justin Gaethje vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov UFC 254
Following a standout performance over Ferguson in Florida, Justin Gaethje took to the newly established UFC Apex in Las Vegas for his second consecutive pay-per-view bout at UFC 254. Now set to contend for the undisputed championship for the first time, the American stood across the cage with one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Putting his home country of Dagestan on the map, Nurmagomedov had racked up a colossal undefeated record of 28-0 and was widely regarded as a pound-for-pound name in the promotion. Gaining the title at UFC 233, “The Eagle” had soared into mainstream notoriety after two subsequent defenses over Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
On a warm October night in the Middle East, Justin Gaethje attempted to become the first man to best the dominant Russian. However, demonstrating an evolved stand up game, Nurmagomedov went blow for blow with his challenger, making the interim king visibly fatigue under his relentless pressure. Locking in a tight triangle choke in the second round, the champion wound up putting the durable Gaethje to sleep, capping off an extraordinary career after choosing to retire following his father’s death due to complications stemming from Covid-19.
Second UFC Championship: Justin Gaethje vs. Charles Oliveira UFC 274
Rebounding from the setback to Nurmagomedov with a Fight of the Night-winning win against Michael Chandler in 2021, Gaethje had secured his second opportunity to take home the title at UFC 274. His opponent for the occasion was a man who had embarked on a stupendous win streak built over a five year period, a streak that included nine stoppages. That man being iconic Brazilian mixed martial artist Charles Oliveira.
Since suffering his last defeat at UFC 218 to Paul Felder in 2017, Oliveira rose to become one of the preeminent fighters in the lightweight category. Stringing together a lengthy stay in the winner’s circle, “do Bronxs” had gained the 155-lb championship after a legendary performance against the aforementioned Chandler at UFC 262, netting one defense over Dustin Poirier. While he was slated to vie for his second retention in his encounter with Gaethje, Oliveira unfortunately missed weight by a frustrating half a pound, meaning he was forced to vacate his throne while making Gaethje the only one eligible to win it.
Engaging in possibly the most entertaining one round contest in promotional history, Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira battered each other on the feet, with the American dropping the former champion several times, but refusing to pursue a finish on the ground due to Oliveira’s prestigious grappling credentials.
After being dropped himself from a hard straight from the Brazilian, Gaethje was helpless to fend off a swift body lock from Oliveira, who wasted no time in locking in a jaw-dropping rear naked choke that forced the challenger to tap.
First UFC BMF Championship: Justin Gaethje vs. Dustin Poirier UFC 291
More than a year following his last endeavor to take hold of the crown, Justin Gaethje would earn himself another title shot in the summer of 2023. However, the title for the occasion wasn’t a normal UFC championship, rather it was for the ceremonial BMF title. Taking place at UFC 291, “The Highlight” drew a familiar adversary from his early days when he was still making his way up the lightweight rankings in Dustin Poirier.
Also known for his proficiency with ending his fights inside the distance, Poirier had already solidified his legacy as an arguably the best UFC athlete to never become an undisputed champion. Boasting a laundry list of incredible victories over other lightweight titans like Anthony Pettis, Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor twice, “The Diamond” also held a win over Gaethje. Locking horns back in 2018 at UFC on FOX 29, Poirier came out on top over the Elevation Fight Team product with a riveting fourth round knockout.
More than willing to write one of the biggest setbacks of his professional career, Justin Gaethje immediately began to pursue Poirier, making the fellow 155-lb veteran duke it out on a technical but entertaining scrap. It was in the second round, though, that “The Highlight” found his mark after delivering a thudding head kick to the head of his rival, sending Poirier crashing to the canvas with a highlight reel knockout to score the coveted BMF championship.
Second UFC BMF Championship: Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway UFC 300
In 2024, the UFC put on one of the grandest blockbuster events in combat sports history in the mythical UFC 300 card. Packed to the brim with electrifying matchups, the show featured the return of newly-minted BMF king Justin Gaethje as he aimed to defend his strap. Sharing the cage with him on that hallowed evening was none other than previous featherweight apex Max Holloway, who was fighting at lightweight for the first time since 2019.
Taking hold of the 145-lb throne in 2017, Holloway went on to become a legendary figure in his division, defending his belt three times against a murders row of dangerous contenders in José Aldo, Brian Ortega and Frankie Edgar. Taking the chance to add even more to his legacy, “Blessed” moved up in weight to challenge Poirier for the interim lightweight championship at UFC 236. Despite his run of utter dominance in his own category, Holloway was soundly defeated by “The Diamond,” falling to him by unanimous decision.
In what would become not only the preeminent match of the entire card, but also possibly the greatest lightweight contest of all time, Gaethje and Holloway engaged in a striking battle of the ages.
Although Justin Gaethje was clearly the naturally larger and stronger competitor, Holloway found little difficulty in setting the pace, attempting over 300 blows, rocking the incumbent at several points. While it appeared that “The Highlight” would survive to the final horn, “Blessed” took the last ten seconds of the fight to coax Gaethje into a final fire fight. Pointing down to the ground, the two men emptied their gas tanks in one last flurry of punches, wrestling in Holloway starching Gaethje at the literal last second.
