Justin Gaethje’s last outing was as iconic as it was heartbreaking for the former BMF title holder. At UFC 300, ‘The Highlight’ scripted history against featherweight legend Max Holloway in a clash that is etched in MMA folklore till the end of time. Despite being the underdog, Holloway silenced critics with a stunning last-second knockout in the final round that left the arena in complete shock. In the aftermath, Gaethje chose to step away from competition for the remainder of 2024, scheduling his return nearly a year after that fateful night.

Originally slated to face Dan Hooker, the former interim champ now finds himself matched against #11 ranked Rafael Fiziev following ‘The Hangman’s’ injury withdrawal. Though Gaethje emerged victorious in their previous encounter at UFC 286, the short-notice nature of this rematch has created palpable anxiety among his supporters, who fear another potential knockout loss this weekend. However, Israel Adesanya sees things differently.

‘The Last Stylebender’ appears to favor Gaethje based on the outcome of their first meeting, though he acknowledges that underestimating ‘Ataman’ would be a serious mistake. Outside of his few losses, Fiziev has been a dominant force in the UFC lightweight division. Anticipating what he describes as a “banger fight” between these elite strikers, Adesanya has suggested that ‘The Highlight’ implement a more tactical approach in the rematch to secure another victory over the dangerous Azerbaijani slugger.

“It’s a rematch. Sh-t’s going to go crazy bananas… If he [Gaethje] fights smart, it [getting KO’d] wouldn’t be a factor because you can, like, see in the third round of that last fight with Fiziev. He had good head movement. So, yeah,” Israel Adesanya stated on his YouTube channel. “This is one of those ones [where] I’m going to roll the dice… I won’t be surprised if Fiziev wins, but for betting reasons, and I hope Gaethje fights smart… It won’t be a factor [KO against Max]”

Well, the sentiment is kind of the same in Justin Gaethje’s camp. Some time back, ‘The Highlight’ mentioned that he’s not going to fight for too long. Moreover, the Arizona native also mentioned the criteria to consider retirement. Here’s what he had to say.

If it happens again, Justin Gaethje is done!

Getting knocked out—especially by a clean shot to the face—is no joke. It’s not just the immediate damage; the long-term toll on a fighter’s body and career can be devastating. But perhaps the most frustrating part? The way it completely derails momentum that took months, even years, to build. Just ask Justin Gaethje.

He went from being the frontrunner to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 302 to being sidelined indefinitely. Worse yet, he lost his golden opportunity to none other than Dustin Poirier. The same man he knocked out at UFC 291 to win the BMF title. MMA math can be cruel, and in this case, it cost Gaethje a career-defining moment.

But now, Gaethje has made it clear that a shot at undisputed gold is what he’s looking for. If that doesn’t seem to be an option, he could just call it a career and ride off into the sunset.

“Once I know that I cannot win an undisputed championship belt or fight for one, then I might as well hang up the gloves. I do not believe I have reached that point. Whether I’m the champion or not in the next – Who knows? It’s so hard to predict.”

But then again, he’s also analyzing his abilities after the knockout loss to Max Holloway. A replication of the same outcome could see him hang up his gloves as well. “If I ever go to sleep, like I just went to sleep, I’m done. I’m not doing it two more times. I’ll do that one more time if I have to, I’m not choosing that, but it’s always a possibility, and if it happens, I’m done. But outside that, I don’t know, it’s hard to put a number.” Gaethje told MMA Fighting last year.

Well, that’s a lot of pressure to take! But Justin Gaethje seems cool, calm, and collected ahead of his high-stakes clash at UFC 313. Let us know what you think in the comments down below.