Charles Oliveira hails Justin Gaethje, talks UFC champ's next payday and potential MMA retirement

Charles Oliveira has weighed in on the widespread speculation surrounding Justin Gaethje's MMA future.

The former UFC lightweight champion and reigning UFC BMF titleholder displayed respect for Gaethje, whilst giving his opinion about the American's potential next fight's payout and MMA retirement. 

Charles Oliveira talks Justin Gaethje's next fight's pay dynamics

During a conversation with Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, Charles Oliveira implied that Justin Gaethje likely earned a career-high payday in his latest fight. For context, Gaethje bested Ilia Topuria via TKO to capture the UFC lightweight championship in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 in June. 

The event transpired at the White House in Washington, D.C. It was touted as one of the most high-profile fight cards ever. As such, many believe that Gaethje and other fighters earned the most lucrative payouts of their entire MMA careers. 

Well, Oliveira opined that Gaethje is unlikely to earn a payout on par with the White House card payday in his next fight. He explained: 

"I think that, without a doubt, he is not going to make more money in his next fight than he made at the White House. The White House was a place everyone wanted to fight at. Everyone wanted to be there. It had all that glamor. So he accepted the money for that fight." 

The veteran fighter added, "His next purse is not going to be that amount. It will definitely be a good amount, but not the amount he made at the White House." 

Oliveira affirmed that the UFC's White House card was one that every fighter wanted to be a part of. On that note, he suggested that fighters who were making $100k per fight secured $500k, highlighting that the UFC exponentially raised fighter pay for the special event. 

Charles Oliveira expresses respect for Justin Gaethje, talks about his potential MMA retirement

Charles Oliveira notably fought Justin Gaethje back in 2022, submitting the latter in the very first round. Oliveira had missed weight for that matchup and was stripped of his UFC lightweight title, whereas Gaethje made weight and was eligible to win it but couldn't beat the Brazilian. 

Here, in 2026, Oliveira expressed his respect for his former opponent. Alluding to the fact that Gaethje has consistently hinted that he might vacate his UFC lightweight championship and retire from MMA, Oliveira stated: 

"I also understand his side of saying, 'Man, I've already had great fights. I've built a great history, and I want to retire.'" 

Moreover, Oliveira indicated that it isn't up to him or anyone else to decide whether or not Gaethje should retire. He asserted that it's Gaethje's prerogative, his decision to make after due consideration. 

"Do Bronx" underscored that he respects Gaethje "tremendously" and would give the American a standing ovation if he were to retire or continue fighting. 

As of this time, Gaethje is expected to defend his lightweight belt against Arman Tsarukyan sometime in early 2027, provided the former chooses to continue his MMA career.

Meanwhile, Oliveira is booked to defend his BMF title in a lightweight clash against former two-time UFC featherweight title challenger Diego Lopes. The Oliveira-Lopes showdown will headline UFC 335 in Las Vegas on December 12. 

Watch Charles Oliveira discuss Justin Gaethje's possible next fight, payday, and retirement below: 

Charles Oliveira "respects" Justin Gaethje "tremendously," regardless of whether he continues to fight: "He is not going to make more money in his next fight than he made at the White House. … If he retires, he will receive a standing ovation." (🎥 @guicruzzz) https://t.co/IildP15qbU

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) October 14, 2026