Justin Gaethje has already experienced the type of year most fighters could only dream about. Now the UFC lightweight champion is ready to enjoy it. After going through two grueling fights during the first half of 2026 including his stunning victory over Ilia Topuria at the UFC White House event Gaethje says he will not fight again this year as he continues recovering from injuries to both hands.
Beyond that, even Gaethje isn’t completely certain what his future holds. “I still can’t punch anything,” Gaethje told Sports Illustrated. “Both of my hands are still hurt from the fight so I’m just going to enjoy being the champion for the rest of the year because I fought two times already in the first six months.”
For a fighter who has built his reputation on embracing violence, Gaethje is now giving his body time to recover before making another major career decision. After what he accomplished in 2026, he’s earned some time to think.
Two Wars, Two Victories
Gaethje’s year began with a punishing back-and-forth battle against Paddy Pimblett in January. He won. Then came an even bigger assignment. Gaethje faced Topuria in the main event of the historic UFC White House card in June, entering the fight as an underdog against one of the promotion’s most feared fighters.
Once again, Gaethje won. This time, he shocked the MMA world by stopping Topuria and becoming the undisputed UFC lightweight champion.
The victory completely altered Gaethje’s career trajectory. At a stage when questions inevitably begin surrounding how much longer a veteran fighter wants to compete, Gaethje instead found himself sitting atop arguably the UFC’s deepest division.
But those two victories came with a price. Gaethje says both hands remain injured months after the Topuria fight, preventing him from even punching anything in training. So there won’t be a third fight in 2026.
UFC Will Ultimately Make the Call
Gaethje also understands that being champion doesn’t necessarily mean getting to choose his challenger. “Ultimately the UFC makes the decision on who I’m going to fight next,” Gaethje said.
That’s where things could get interesting. With Gaethje sitting out the remainder of 2026, the UFC has time to allow the lightweight division to sort itself out. Top contenders can strengthen their cases. New challengers can emerge. Topuria can recover and potentially position himself for another opportunity.
Gaethje even acknowledged that Topuria could remain sidelined until 2027 as he continues recovering from their fight. “I guess if I’m not fighting until next year, Topuria is probably not going to fight until next year, too, seeing as he’s still recovering from some things,” Gaethje said. By the time Gaethje is healthy enough to return, the lightweight championship picture could look considerably different.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
