MMA

Justin Gaethje wants a 'big, big' fight next, claims his manager

Published

2 months ago

August 6, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Justin Gaethje wants a 'big, big' fight next, claims his manager

justin_gaethje on Instagram

As per his manager Ali Abdelaziz, UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje wants a big fight for his next outing in the cage.

At UFC Freedom 250, Justin Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria to claim the undisputed UFC lightweight championship. While many spent a good few weeks dissecting how exactly he made that happen, others looked to the future.

RELATED: Justin Gaethje says Arman Tsarukyan is far more deserving of title shot than Ilia Topuria: â€œHe's not fighting me nextâ€

Gaethje has a handful of really interesting challengers that he could face off against at 155 pounds, but given his age and how long he's been in the game, retirement is always a possibility â€“ especially when you consider just how much damage he has taken in his career.

According to Ali Abdelaziz, if Gaethje does return next year, then he wants to do so for a big fight.

Gaethje's manager discusses his future

â€œ(In) 2027 we will see Justin Gaethje fighting,â€ Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. â€œHe fought two times this year. He deserves the time off. He's still the lightweight champion, undisputed, and I think all these guys have to chase him. But he wants to be in a big fight â€“ a big, big fight. What is the big fight? Who decides that? It's Dana White who decides what's the biggest fight they can make.â€

â€œIf he retired today, I will be so happy because he did everything,â€ Abdelaziz said. â€œAnd if he wants to choose to fight one more time, he can fight one more time because nobody tells him what to do. He's the boss. At the end of the day, it just has to be a massive fight.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

What would you like to see next for Gaethje following his incredible UFC world title win? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

MMA

Dustin Poirier admits he helped teammate cheat scale to make weight

Published

14 hours ago

October 6, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Dustin Poirier admits he helped teammate cheat scale to make weight

Dustin
Poirier will do whatever it takes to help his teammates.

Poirier recently recalled an incident in which he helped a teammate
make weight illegally. Poirier's friend was over the weight limit
for a fight in Mississippi, and the former
Ultimate Fighting Championship interim titleholder resorted to
manipulating the scale to help him.

Dustin Poirier details how he lifted an overweight teammate
during a Mississippi weigh-in

Fighters shed every bit of clothing and stand behind a towel when
they're close to the weight limit. Poirier stood behind the towel
with his teammate while everyone else was on the other side. â€œThe
Diamondâ€ claims he slightly lifted his friend so that he made
weight.

â€œOne time one of my buddies was fighting in Mississippi,â€ Poirier
said on the â€œDeep Watersâ€ podcast. â€œAnd they had the towel out, he
was naked, he was over [the weight limit]. I was behind the towel
with him. Everybody was in front. I grabbed a handful of hairy man
*ss cheeks and I lifted him up a little bit, got him on
weight.â€

Poirier (30-10) hung up his gloves after losing to Max
Holloway last year. He has since admitted that he misses
fighting and hasn't entirely ruled out a return.

Don’t say that @DustinPoirier doesn’t help
out his teammates ðŸ¤£ [ Deep Waters | LIVE NOW
https://t.co/xUDYk5Yr7K ] https://t.co/pSaLFqM3Hk

â€” UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
October 5, 2026

MMA

Dustin Poirier admits he helped teammate cheat scale to make weight

Published

14 hours ago

October 6, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Dustin
Poirier will do whatever it takes to help his teammates.

Dustin Poirier details how he lifted an overweight teammate
during a Mississippi weigh-in

Poirier (30-10) hung up his gloves after losing to Max
Holloway last year. He has since admitted that he misses
fighting and hasn't entirely ruled out a return.

Don’t say that @DustinPoirier doesn’t help
out his teammates ðŸ¤£ [ Deep Waters | LIVE NOW
https://t.co/xUDYk5Yr7K ] https://t.co/pSaLFqM3Hk

â€” UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
October 5, 2026

MMA

DWCS Results : LaGrange vs. Ariano

Published

14 hours ago

October 6, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

MMA Fighting has DWCS results for the LaGrange vs. Ariano fight card and more from the Meta APEX in

In the main event, Preston LaGrange tries to hand Nell Ariano (6-0) his first career loss in a light heavyweight competition. LaGrange (6-1) has won two fights via submission since his lone career defeat.

Former UFC employee Sal Everett faces fellow undefeated Ozzy Martin in a welterweight contest in the co-main event. Both Everett and Martin are 4-0 in the pro careers so far.

Check out DWCS results below.

Preston LaGrange def. Nell Ariano via KO (punch) â€” 2:24, Round 1

Sal Everett def. Ozzy Martin via KO (punch) â€” 1:57, Round 1

Roque Conceicao def. Alexander Chavez via submission (triangle choke) â€” 3:37, Round 1

Mateus Soares def. Ryuho Miyaguchi via TKO (punches) â€” 1:03, Round 1

Alivia Bierley def. Summer Onley via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Note: Tonight's event is the ninth week of DWCS in season 10. In this season, the UFC has awarded 38 deals through competition, including four last week.