Justin Gaethje will complete his fighting career by 2027. The 37-year-old former World Series of Fighting champion revealed his timeline days before UFC 324, where he meets Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight title on January 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Gaethje enters the bout with a professional record of 26-5-0. His recent results show a decision victory over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 in March 2025, a knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April 2024, and a head-kick knockout of Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 in July 2023. The 2023 Poirier victory earned Gaethje the BMF championship, a title he later relinquished to Holloway.
Justin Gaethje’s Honest Retirement Plan
In an interview with mainevent, Gaethje stated his intentions clearly: “And so, you know, I’m almost done with this ride. I think by the by definitely by 2027, you know, I will be done and I will be able to move on to those other parts of my life” [user provided link]. This timeline gives the Arizona native one to two years to pursue his remaining goals in mixed martial arts. Gaethje turned professional in 2011 after a 7-0 amateur career, built a 17-fight win streak, and captured the WSOF lightweight championship five times before joining the UFC in 2017.
Coach Trevor Wittman confirmed this represents Gaethje’s final opportunity at championship gold. “This is our last run,” Wittman told ESPN. “If we don’t win this fight, we’re not going on…we’re not going to go out there and be a gatekeeper and look at money fights and s–t like that”. Wittman emphasized this is not a retirement fight where a fighter is mentally checked out, noting Gaethje remains fully engaged despite acknowledging his athletic mortality. “He’s 37 years old and we want to be smart. We’re not going to be the guy out there trying to fight for money and trying to go chase cash for trauma”.
UFC 324 marks the promotion’s first broadcast under its new Paramount+ partnership, making it available to subscribers without additional pay-per-view cost. The event features six current and former champions across the card. For Gaethje, victory over Pimblett would position him for a title unification bout with Ilia Topuria, though the undisputed champion announced he would not compete in the first quarter of 2026 due to personal reasons. Gaethje previously held the interim lightweight belt for five months in 2020 after defeating Tony Ferguson, but lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254.
The timeline suggests Gaethje has calculated his remaining competitive window carefully. With more than 30 professional fights accumulated since 2011, the 2027 endpoint allows for a potential title run while avoiding the decline phase that claims many veterans who extend their careers beyond their physical prime. Gaethje’s reputation for delivering bonus-worthy performances includes seven consecutive post-fight bonuses after his UFC debut and a “Fight of the Night” award in his rematch with Fiziev.
UFC 324 represents both a beginning and an end. The Paramount+ era launches with Gaethje’s pursuit of one final championship reign, even as he plans his exit from competition within the next 24 months.
