Justin Gaethje Proposes 4-Way Death Match to Destroy Islam Makhachev in Octagon

Championship run-gunning Justin Gaethje makes a case for how to defeat the pound-for-pound king, Islam Makhachev.

Justin Gaethje Proposes 4-Way Death Match to Destroy Islam Makhachev in Octagon

Justin Gaethje makes case for a dream match, including Islam Makhachev (Source: X)

Not that long ago, Islam Makhachev had grown weary of featherweights and PPV title rematches and opted for a fresh Justin Gaethje fight. However, the longtime champ then vacated the stake to his UFC 155-pound title for a step up to 170 pounds. But the talks of such a fight still persist.

Islam Makhachev is the promotion’s #1 pound-for-pound fighter after all. Justin Gaethje has been wanting to make that fight for a long while, while the Dagestani was the champ, and has thought about it. In a very recent media interview, “Highlight” pitched in on his dream matchup, inclusive of Makhachev.

The main event is, is…[not Jon Jones] four way death match with me, Poirier, Holloway and Makhachev. Us three could definitely fu*k him up real quick, and then we’ll see.

Justin Gaethje on The Makeshift Podcast (@Makeshift_Project) #136

Gaethje’s anti-wrestling standup agenda would mean he’d need others. His other top choices are Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway. Islam Makhachev showed he is a true pound-for-pound champion who can stand up against a boxer, submit a submission specialist, or kick a kickboxer in range.

But recent title challenger Poirier gave him quite the run and the scars to go with it at the UFC 302 PPV main event, last June. Meanwhile, Gaethje has personally also faced Holloway when the BMF strap was contested at 155 pounds and was subject to quite a face-first knockout. Since then, the gritty Hawaiian, whose power he felt, has made a more lasting move to the lightweight class.

This isn’t unlike Poirier’s original plan for a BMF four-way match-up; those would have to wait, though, as UFC execs are on a hard pass on more than two fighters in the octagon. For now, UFC brass have declared Islam Makhachev next in line for recently minted champ Jack Della Maddalena, for a PPV title scrap somewhere later this year.

Justin Gaethje named as surprise dream opponent for lightweight, besides Khabib Nurmagomedov or Conor McGregor

Tony Ferguson’s astounding 12-fight winning streak snapped and gave out at UFC 249, when he went up against one Justin Gaethje. Following a very one-sided domination, Highlight won the interim lightweight title in empathetic fashion; it also marked a turning point in Ferguson’s trajectory for the worse.

Justin Gaethje himself a dream opponent in a longstanding rematch option
Justin Gaethje himself a dream opponent in a longstanding rematch option (Source: X)

“El Cucuy” was to seemingly make a PPV title booking against Khabib Nurmagomedov himself, but that never came to be on multiple instances. Nurmagomedov could not afford far-travel due to the COVID-19 global pandemic restrictions and Ferguson risked his “Champ Sh*t Only” spot by staying on the card.

The loss would be a pivot in his career, after which Ferguson would drop to the longest UFC active competition losing streak [at 8] before finally leaving the promotion. In a recent interview, he named “Eagle” and the unfilled Conor McGregor challenge as his top fights to make. But other than that, it’s to run things back with Justin Gaethje.

Oh son of a bi*ch—, …you named them both… Yeah, of course…it would be a combination plate of McNuggets and Tiramisu, it really would. But, if I could go back and fight another time, it would be Gaethje…and I would actually give a sh*t— and go back and fight that one…I wouldn’t go toe-to-toe, I would fight my fight, the way that I was supposed to and change the future and see how it would go from that point.

Tony Ferguson to The Schmo via the Schmozone Podcast (@theschmo312)

Ferguson was an absolute 155-pound roster tank, racking up 12 wins before his Gaethje loss. Recently, he hung up from UFC competition and tried his luck elsewhere. He was a Round 3 draft pick (Pick 14; Los Angeles) for the 2025 GFL Draft ahead of the promotion’s debut on 4th April; however, that hasn’t come to be yet.

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