Justin Gaethje says he would love to fight Charles Oliveira next if he defeats Michael Chandler at UFC 268.
Oliveira is the current lightweight champion and is targeted to defend his belt against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269. Although he is the champion, he still has the stigma that he is a quitter and Gaethje believes that still is the case.
“I’m in a great position, I don’t have to win eight in a row,” Justin Gaethje said on UFC Unfiltered. “I’ve got to win one in a row. So if he wins (against Dustin Poirier), I would love to fight Charles Oliveira, because I will show you what I’m saying. He’s a quitter. He is a quitter. He showed it to you in the Michael Chandler fight.
“At the end of the first round, he was not looking good, he didn’t want to be there,” Gaethje explained. “That’s just what I think, that’s my opinion. And Poirier is going to beat him up.“
Although Gaethje believes Poirier will defeat Oliveira, if the Brazilian somehow wins, that is the fight he wants. For Gaethje, it’s an intriguing stylistic matchup as if he can make it a standup fight, he would have a lot of success as he is an elite striker with legit one-punch KO power.
For all that to happen anyway, Gaethje will need to defeat Chandler at Madison Square Garden on November 6.
Justin Gaethje will be making his return to the Octagon at UFC 268 as he hasn’t fought since October of last year where he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov by submission for the belt. Prior to that, he TKO’d Tony Ferguson to win the interim lightweight title and on the winning streak, he knocked out Donald Cerrone, Edson Barboza, and James Vick to cement himself as one of the best lightweights.
