Daniel Cormier Says Justin Gaethje Has No Easy Options Amid UFC Title Defense Questions
· Yahoo Sports
The UFC lightweight title picture has been in a bit of limbo ever since Justin Gaethje became the undisputed champion at UFC Freedom 250. “The Highlight” shocked the MMA world on June 14 when he dethroned Ilia Topuria and finally captured the 155-pound throne. However, retirement has been on Gaethje’s mind ever since.
Immediately after the fight, Gaethje revealed that he had promised his mother he would not make any emotional decisions about his future. Fast forward to October, and the new champion is still recovering from his injuries and cannot even punch at the moment.
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While Gaethje remains on the sidelines, the division is starting to move without him. Arman Tsarukyan recently knocked out Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 and called for the title shot he believes he deserves. For the uninitiated, the Armenian has remained among the top contenders at 155 pounds since his first title challenge against Islam Makhachev in January 2025.
Meanwhile, Topuria has also returned to training and is pushing for an immediate rematch with Gaethje. The former champion has even accused the American of tampering with his gloves during their White House showdown.
Still, Gaethje appears to have plenty of control over what happens next. However, according to Daniel Cormier, none of the options available to the reigning champion are particularly easy.
Daniel Cormier Warns Justin Gaethje Faces Risks Against Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan
During a recent appearance on his YouTube channel, Cormier said, “He’s got the Arman door if he ever wants to open it and fight that fight. Arman Tsarukyan, at this point, is a massive star. People love him for what he has done outside of mixed martial arts to make himself viable, but he’s a big underdog in that fight, probably bigger than he should be, especially after what people saw (Gaethje) do at UFC Freedom 250. ‘
The former two-division champion then questioned whether Gaethje could reproduce the career-best performance he delivered against Topuria. He said, “But then the question becomes, as Justin said himself, he had the performance of his life. Can he replicate that again, which he would need to in order to get past Arman Tsarukyan, and does he even want to? That’s Option 1.”
Cormier then turned his attention to Topuria as another potential option. He added, “Ilia Topuria as a second option, but again that’s dangerous because while Justin got the job done, there were moments where Ilia hurt him. And Justin, to his credit, has spoken about the fight, spoken about the game plan, and you would expect Ilia to go and try to fix the areas where he may have struggled.”
— On today’s episode, I speak about Justin Gaethje and his future and what his options are. Was the White House the last time that we will see JG inside of an octagon? That would absolutely suck. I give my thoughts in so much more on the lightweight Champion and this situation… pic.twitter.com/EiTzf7dNAN
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) September 29, 2026
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Topuria managed to hurt Gaethje with several massive liver shots during their fight, while the champion later pointed out issues with the Spaniard’s predictable footwork. Cormier also highlighted how Gaethje and Trevor Wittman identified those tendencies during the fight.
Cormier said, “Justin said his rhythm, his timing, and he was timing his stuff with his punches. You can even go back and watch some of the documentary, and you hear Trevor Wittman telling Justin in spots where to take advantage of the things Ilia was doing, especially in the striking.”
According to Cormier, Topuria will undoubtedly work on those weaknesses before another potential meeting with Gaethje, which could make a rematch even more dangerous.
He added, “Ilia will go and improve that. He will go and fix that, right? I would like to see the odds for an Ilia Topuria rematch. Even that, if Justin did go down that path, to his point, what’s he got to prove? He beat him on the biggest stage that the UFC has ever been on. It doesn’t work. It doesn’t really seem like it would suit him.”
Of course, money could ultimately play a major role in Gaethje’s decision. Following his White House victory, “The Highlight” even asked for an equity stake in the UFC, pointing to his contributions and achievements inside the promotion while discussing his future.
Justin Gaethje hasn’t decided on his fighting future despite everyone clamouring for him to fight Arman Tsarukyan next 👀 pic.twitter.com/RYWjVf2qGu
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) September 24, 2026
As champion, Gaethje is presumably earning some of the biggest paychecks of his career. Cormier understands why the veteran would want to maximize his earnings before eventually walking away. However, chasing the next big payday can also make retirement even harder.
Cormier explained, “If he wins, then the money will just get bigger, and there will be that pull to come back again. It never stops. Because the way that the game works is the champion is supposed to go when his time is gone. When the time is gone, when his time is over, someone shows that champion the door.”
Cormier concluded with, “But if that champion still seems to have fight, money will come to you, and that draw – whether you do this for money or not – that draw is very hard to turn away from. There is no easy option for Justin Gaethje, because even in retiring, it’s hard. Even if staying and winning again, it’s hard, because there’s always going to be a pull to do it again.”
Daniel Cormier Wants Justin Gaethje to Walk Away on a High Note Like Few MMA Legends
Cormier also touched on the possibility of Gaethje facing Conor McGregor in a blockbuster money fight. However, that matchup is currently off the table with McGregor facing a lengthy layoff after his UFC 329 return ended just 69 seconds into the fight because of a serious knee injury.
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There is also the question of what giving up the undisputed title for a money fight would do to Gaethje’s legacy. Cormier’s bigger point, however, is that fighters rarely get to choose the perfect ending in MMA.
A few legends, including Georges St-Pierre and Robbie Lawler, managed to walk away on winning notes. Others, including Cormier himself, Anderson Silva, B.J. Penn and Tony Ferguson, had much less memorable endings to their careers.
That is why Gaethje’s next move could be one of the most important decisions of his career. Whether he chooses to defend the title, chase another massive fight or finally walk away, there is no shortage of difficult factors for “The Highlight” to consider.
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