Matt Brown Says Retirement Talk Around Justin Gaethje Is Nonsense

Justin Gaethje finally has the undisputed UFC lightweight belt after upsetting Ilia Topuria at the June White House card, and a chorus of fans and pundits are already telling him to retire on top. Matt Brown thinks that's backwards. On The Fighter vs. The Writer, the retired welterweight argued Gaethje's stock has never been higher, and the smart move is to cash in while it lasts.

Brown's framing is blunt: this is prize fighting, so take advantage. Gaethje walked into the Topuria bout as a huge underdog, absorbed some rough early moments, then did what he's always done — turned it into a brawl and battered Topuria on the feet and the mat until the champion couldn't answer the bell after round four. That win didn't just close the storybook. Brown says it handed Gaethje leverage to land the biggest checks of his career.

The Legacy Argument

Here's the part critics keep skipping. Brown flatly places Gaethje outside the all-time pound-for-pound top five, and even outside the greatest-lightweights-ever conversation, well below Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre. That's not a knock — it's the whole point. Because Gaethje isn't chasing a spotless GOAT résumé, there's nothing to protect. He's playing with house money.

So a loss doesn't dent him, and a run of wins rewrites the story entirely. Brown's pitch: defend the belt against real contenders and stack a title-defense legacy on top of the 'most exciting fighter alive, bonus machine' reputation Gaethje already owns. The names he floats are the obvious ones — Arman Tsarukyan as the most deserving challenger, plus revenge shots at Max Holloway or Charles Oliveira, both of whom hold past wins over Gaethje.

The Matchups On The Table

Brown likes all three fights for Gaethje. He didn't get dominated by Holloway or Oliveira the first time, which makes them live rematches rather than lopsided threats, and beating either would be a serious notch on the belt. The one name he won't push is Khabib — a stylistic nightmare Gaethje has already lost to — but that's not on the menu with Nurmagomedov long retired.

The plan Brown lays out is simple. Rest and recover from the Topuria war, then start booking title defenses in 2027 and turn a great career into a legendary one. Gaethje has hinted he isn't done anyway. If Brown's read is right, the version of Gaethje who retires now would be leaving both money and a whole new legacy sitting on the table.