Injured hands keep champion Gaethje sidelined until 2027 after stopping Topuria

Justin Gaethje will not defend his UFC lightweight title before 2027, the champion confirmed, citing hand injuries sustained in his June stoppage of Ilia Topuria at the UFC White House.

“I still can’t punch anything,” Gaethje told Sports Illustrated. “Both of my hands are still hurt from the fight so I’m just going to enjoy being the champion for the rest of the year because I fought two times already in the first six months.”

Gaethje has been remarkably active in 2026, first grinding out a victory over Paddy Pimblett in January before pulling off a significant upset by stopping Topuria — who could not answer the bell for the fifth round — in the UFC White House main event in June. The back-to-back campaigns have taken a physical toll that the 35-year-old says demands a proper recovery window.

With the title picture temporarily on hold, speculation has grown around a potential rematch with Topuria. Gaethje is cool on the idea, pointing to the manner of the finish as reason enough to look elsewhere. “I don’t think that’s my next fight, in my gut,” he said, noting that Topuria is also still recovering and unlikely to be ready in the near term anyway.

Gaethje acknowledged, however, that the final call on his next opponent will not be his to make. “Ultimately the UFC makes the decision on who I’m going to fight next,” he said. Beyond the matchmaking, he is also still working through a broader decision about his future in the sport, saying he plans to “put everything on paper, pros and cons, talk to my family and everybody that loves me to be honest with me and then I’ll make a decision.”

He has hinted that he intends to fight again, but with no timeline firmed up and his hands still healing, the lightweight division will have to wait until at least early 2027 to see its undisputed champion back in action.