Justin Gaethje is edging closer to his return to the Octagon with a potential timeframe in sight. According to his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, the former interim lightweight champion is open to matchups with contenders such as Renato Moicano and Dan Hooker.
Gaethje, currently ranked third in the official lightweight rankings, has been on the sidelines since his knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300, where he lost the symbolic BMF (Baddest Motherf***) championship.
Before that defeat, Gaethje had secured two significant victories. He won a unanimous decision over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286 in March 2023, earning him Fight of the Night honors. In July of that year, Gaethje claimed the BMF title after a second-round knockout of Dustin Poirier at UFC 291, a performance that also earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. Abdelaziz confirmed that Gaethje is eyeing a return to action as early as March of next year.
Justin Gaethje’s going to fight in March,” Abdelaziz told MMA Fighting. “Against who? I have no idea. It could be Dan Hooker, Dustin Poirier, or Renato Moicano. Whatever it is, I don’t know yet, but I would like to see Justin fight in March. He needs a little bit of time to recover after his last fight. He deserves that.