Justin Gaethje Speaks About Hiatus Amid Retirement Talks

UFC Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje has confirmed that his 2026 fight schedule is over after drawing a victory against Paddy Pimblett in UFC 324 and Ilia Topuria in UFC Freedom 250. He is taking this much-needed time off to recover from his bone, hand, and knee injuries. This has stirred up talks about his possible retirement. 'The Highlight' has finally cleared the air.

Justin Gaethje Confirms UFC Hiatus

Only months ago, Justin Gaethje finally clinched his first title belt against Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250, a goal that has defined his fighting career for years.

However, despite achieving his career goal, the UFC lightweight champion remains undecided on his future. This has fueled speculation about his possible retirement. Although he has not explicitly mentioned his retirement, he confirmed his decision to stay out of the octagon for the time being.

"I've fought twice this year. I have a deep bone bruise in my knee; I can't punch with my hand still, so I really need to recover, and I know for a fact I won't fight again this year," Gaethje said in a recent episode of the MightyCast podcast.

🚨BREAKING:JUSTIN GAETHJE IS SHUTTING DOWN HIS 2026 FIGHT PLANS! 🥶💔

Justin Gaethje confirms he will NOT fight again this year due to still having lasting injuries:

🗣️ “I fought twice this year. I have the bone bruise in my knee. I can punch with my hands still, so I really… pic.twitter.com/WvnXtaErAL

— FightLuck (@FightluckBet) September 9, 2026

He takes pride in giving his best performance against Topuria in UFC Freedom 250. "I do know I just performed better than I’ve ever performed,” he said.

Despite this sensational win, the retirement talks are not out of the question.

During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Vice President JD Vance recalled meeting Gaethje and his mother at the White House. Vance said he asked Gaethje if he was done fighting. Gaethje hesitated, while his mother reportedly answered, “Yes.”

Still, Gaethje has refused to give a definitive answer to the retirement question, explaining that this decision is heavily influenced by the people in his life.

"I've always trusted and told my parents, my brothers, my sister, my coaches, that I need them to have a conversation with me whenever the time needs to come," he explained.

He further mentioned that he might not notice his shortcomings himself at times; hence, "I really rely on them and lean on them to help me through this choice.”

BJPenn reported that “The Highlight” is treating the decision like a business and weighing his options carefully.

Justin Gaethje Shuts Down Immediate Rematch Talks with Ilia Topuria 

Not only did Gaethje shut down anticipations of returning to the Octagon this year, but a rematch with Ilia Topuria any time soon is also off the table. 

In the UFC Freedom 250 bout with Topuria, Gaethje survived a tough second round before unleashing an intense beating on Topuria, en route to a fourth-round corner stoppage victory.

While Topuria’s team insists that Topuria is ready to run it back inside the cage, Gaethje is not convinced about the 'El Matador' being his next opponent.

“I don’t think that’s my next fight, in my gut,” Gaethje clarified.

While discussing his bout with Topuria, the 37-year-old American Fighter spoke out about pushing through his injuries. He received a 180-day medical suspension for a potential right wrist injury and a left knee issue after his last fight. 

Apparently, The Highlight has made it crystal clear that recovery is now his main focus, not jumping back in the cage.