Justin Gaethje isn’t getting any younger and putting away Pimblett is more than enough justification for a title shot. That’s the clear and most logical fight to make.
However, it can’t be ignored that Topuria has elected to take a brief hiatus due to personal reasons. He said he will not fight in the first quarter of 2026 so there’s at least some uncertainty about when he’ll be ready to get in the cage again.
If he wants to extend his sabbatical then the UFC would have to pivot to keep Gaethje active.
That could lead to a logical matchup with Arman Tsarukyan. There are some who would say that Tsarukyan should be next in line for a title shot anyway. His current five-fight win streak includes victories over Dan Hooker and Charles Oliveira.
Speaking of Oliveira, his March fight with Max Holloway could create a sneaky title contender thanks to their name recognition.
Both Holloway and Oliveira have wins over Gaethje so a rematch with a title of some kind on the line would make a lot of sense.
