The dust has barely settled after UFC 313, but Dana White finds himself navigating a whirlwind of championship shakeups and rising contenders. Apart from Magomed Ankalaev finally realizing his 205lbs title gold dream, the co-main event was the real show stealer. # 3 ranked Justin Gaethje put on a 15-minute slobber knocker against Rafael Fiziev and seemingly punched his ticket to face the reigning champion next. Even MMA commentator and insider Jon Anik believes that Gaethje is ahead of Ilia Topuria in the title race who recently moved to 155lbs and is eyeing the Dagestani champion.

Ahead of UFC 313, Anik explained while speaking on MMA Fighting on SBN. “You beat anyone who steps in here, you lay claim to a title fight against Islam Makhachev. Now I don’t know what they’re going to do with Islam Makhachev vs Ilia Topuria. But I do know that Justin Gaethje and Islam Makhachev is a fresh matchup and one that fans would have a healthy appetite for—especially if Gaethje goes out and beats Rafael Fiziev.”

During the post-fight press conference, ‘The Highlight’ himself addressed the possibility of facing Islam Makhachev for the title: “I want to fight for the belt. It’s a much different matchup than I just had. They tried to give me a donut, I took a bite, but I’ve got to get back to running if I’m gonna fight Makhachev.”

On the other hand, Topuria recently made a scathing remark about his next opponent at 155lbs. Making an appearance at a presser for WOW FC, ‘El Matador’ stated: “I’m going to ask everyone to please not ask me any questions about my sports career, as I’m not going to answer. The name of the victim is still unknown. If I was [Renato] Moicano or Dan Hooker, it would probably be easier to get a fight, but being Topuria, it’s not easy.”

This saga began when Dana White recently appeared in a live Instagram session: “Ilia Topuria has felt like he’s done all he can in that division, and he feels like he’s cemented his legacy, and his body cannot make the weight anymore. So Topuria will be moving up to 155 pounds and will be vacating the featherweight title.”

However, the UFC hasn’t been clear on whether the Spanish-Georgian will receive an immediate title shot at lightweight. As much as Topuria has been calling for that opportunity, no decisions have been made just yet or the promotion would have already announced the fight. “There’s still other possibilities. A lot of s–t going on right now, otherwise I would have said [what his fight was going to be].” The head honcho said last month.

Now coming back to UFC 313, ‘The Highlight’ has officially entered the lightweight title conversation, but he’s not alone. Contenders like Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira are also in the mix, making the path to gold even more competitive. However, this victory marks a huge shift for the Arizona native, who was contemplating retirement after his devastating KO loss to Max Holloway just months ago. Now, instead of stepping away from the sport, he’s laser-focused on claiming UFC gold.

Dana White reacts to Justin Gaethje’s demand for shot at 155lbs title

“I am No. 3 in the world, the most exciting guy that’s ever stepped in there, and I don’t have a choice. It’s all on the UFC. We’ll see what they want,” Justin Gaethje declared in his Octagon interview following his impressive win at UFC 313. With this victory, the 36-year-old proved that he still has what it takes to hang in with the best.

Gaethje had already envisioned this moment. Last month, while discussing his title aspirations, he confidently stated: “I go in there and get a finish with an outstanding performance… I think I’ll be one of the guys that they consider to fight [Islam] Makhachev.”

And just like that, he delivered on his own prediction. Even Dana White acknowledged Gaethje’s strong case for a title shot during the post-fight press conference: “I mean, what’s he ranked now? Fourth or something? He’s still the number three ranked guy in the world, so the odds of him getting the title shot are pretty good.”

At 36 years old, the former interim lightweight champion boasts more than a decade of experience in the sport and an impressive resume filled with highlight-reel finishes. But with Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira still in the mix—and Ilia Topuria moving up to lightweight—the road to a title shot is far from clear.

So, the big question remains: Will the UFC prioritize Gaethje, or will one of the other top contenders get the nod against Makhachev? Share your thoughts!