Justin Gaethje is not thinking too much about his fighting future beyond his massive showdown with Ilia Topuria.
The interim lightweight champion and Duelbits ambassador looks to unify the division in the UFC White House main event, and many feel that his career may be coming to an end regardless of result. Should he win he will finally at the third time of asking be undisputed, while defeat would spell the end of the road.
However, he is refusing to allow that to enter his mind as he looks to secure victory not just for himself but America as a whole on the June 14 showcase. Gaethje is a massive underdog against Topuria, but has overcome the odds countless times before on his journey to two interim belts and a BMF title.
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Justin Gaethje opens up on retirement rumours ahead of UFC White House
One statistic that is constantly trotted out when discussing Justin Gaethje is that he has won 15 performance bonuses in his 15 UFC bouts. The results of such a career, where he is constantly in physically demanding wars, are sure to affect him as he heads towards his 38th birthday this year.
However, he doesn’t seem to be thinking about retirement all that much as he prepares for his fight with Ilia Topuria. Speaking with Bloody Elbow via Duelbits, Gaethje explained: “I don’t look at it like that. I’ve never stepped into a fight thinking about the end. I step in thinking about the task in front of me.
“Of course, I understand where I am in my career. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’ve given a lot to this sport. But I still feel sharp, I still feel motivated, and most importantly, I still feel like I’m improving. This moment, this event… It means something.
“You don’t take opportunities like this for granted. You prepare, you show up, and you perform at the highest level, as I always do! What happens after? That’s not my focus right now. My focus is on going in there and doing my job the way I know I can.”