“They tried to give me a donut but I need to get back to running.” Now, who in their right mind says no to a donut? Justin Gaethje, that’s who. And not just any donut, one served fresh after a grueling battle inside the UFC Octagon. Why, you ask? Because for Gaethje, the real feast is the lightweight title, and training for it starts immediately. That’s certainly an unconventional way to turn down a post-fight treat. But when gold is on the line, desserts can wait. But will his reap the reward of this discipline? A title shot at Islam Makhachev’s belt?

UFC analyst Mike Bohn certainly thinks it’s possible. “I don’t think it is insanely unrealistic that he gets a lightweight title shot against Islam Makhachev next. I think a lot of stuff is gonna have to break his way, but we’ll get the guys out there, man, he’s got the name. He’s got the style you want for an exciting fight for Islam Makhachev.” So, what’s the hold-up? Well, it turns out the Dagestani kingpin has already made his preference known. “He made it clear that he wants fresh opponents…he wants to fight Justin Gaethje at some point.” With Ilia Topuria lurking around and Arman Tsarukyan’s name in the mix, Gaethje might not be the automatic next-in-line choice. But the door isn’t wide open.

‘The Highlight’, on his end, is making sure he stays in the conversation. Fresh off a win over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313, he took to X (formerly Twitter), calling out UFC boss Dana White. “I won 3 out of my last 4, only losing in an exhibition fight. I have to fight for the belt. @danawhite I am ready.” Bold move? Sure. But considering Gaethje has been a company man, stepping in at UFC 300 and UFC 313, maybe he did earn the favor Mr. White seems to hand out selectively.

So, what does the UFC CEO think? “I mean, what’s he ranked right now? Fourth or something, right? Third. There you go, he’s still the number three ranked guy in the world, so the odds of him getting the title shot are pretty good.” But this isn’t just about rankings, is it? What about the current #1 pound-for-pound fighter? What does Makhachev want?

Does Islam Makhachev have a say in this?

Justin Gaethje is out here kicking down doors and demanding his title shot. But what about the man actually holding the belt? Well, let’s rewind a bit. Last year, Ali Abdelaziz casually threw out the idea that Islam Makhachev was already considering a fight with Gaethje. But then Dustin Poirier stepped into the cage against Benoit Saint-Denis and stole the spotlight. And hence UFC 302 became Makhachev vs. Poirier instead. And Gaethje? He got sent to the back of the line after Max Holloway turned him into a ‘Blessed’ meme at UFC 300. Fast forward to now, Gaethje redeems himself, dusts himself off, and throws his name back in the mix.

But is Gaethje on the champ’s radar once again? Coach Javier Mendez seems open to the idea, saying, “Fantastic, then it’s Justin Gaethje. We’ll focus on Justin Gaethje. That would be ideally for us the perfect matchup based on his standing and what he’s done.” That sounds promising, right?  And let’s now forget the UFC lightweight division is basically a piranha tank, and Makhachev? He’s the great white, circling at the top, watching everyone below fight for scraps. But with Ramadan keeping him sidelined for now, things are starting to get chaotic. Tsarukyan, the top-ranked contender, is waiting for his shot. And then there’s ‘El Matador’, who just abandoned his featherweight throne to chase lightweight gold.

So, where does this leave us? A champion who wants to move up, a challenger demanding his shot, and a UFC president who’s likely making his decision based on what sells the most pay-per-views. Given the UFC’s recent obsession with marketable fights, and the whole ‘Dagestani dominance vs. chaos-bringer’ storyline might be exactly what they need to keep the division spicy.

So, who gets the shot? Even Dana White is shrugging. “Well, you guys know there are a lot of different factors that play out when we start talking about who’s fighting next.” Yeah, sure, Dana. Like he wouldn’t move mountains if he really wanted to make a fight happen. So, what do you think? Should ‘The Highlight’ finally get his shot, or does someone else have a better claim?