UFC 317 will mark the start of Ilia Topuria’s quest for double champion status, as he moves up to lightweight and immediately challenges for UFC gold. In his divisional debut, Topuria faces one of the sport’s most feared submission specialists in Charles Oliveira—a former titleholder known for breaking records and finishing elite opponents on the ground. But while the spotlight shines on the matchup, one former UFC champion is feeling overlooked—and he’s not staying silent.

That former titleholder is Justin Gaethje. On a recent episode of the Anik & Florian Podcast, co-host Jon Anik shed light on a private conversation he had with Gaethje, revealing the lightweight contender’s frustration. ‘He was pissed, right? He feels like certainly he was passed over in favor of Charles Oliveira for this opportunity against Ilia Topuria,’ Anik said. He added, ‘I think what Justin Gaethje and his manager Ali Abdelaziz are looking for is just some sort of guarantee that they will be next.’

Gaethje’s irritation comes on the heels of a critical bounce-back win at UFC 313, where he defeated Rafael Fiziev by majority decision. It was a rematch of their razor-close bout at UFC 286, and this time, Gaethje clearly separated himself in the third round, earning Fight of the Night honors. The win moved him to No. 3 in the official UFC lightweight rankings.

Charles Oliveira, currently ranked No. 2, returned to action at UFC 309, where he secured a unanimous decision victory over Michael Chandler. The bout marked his bounce-back fight after suffering a loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300. Oliveira earned the win on all three judges’ scorecards, reinforcing his position as a top contender and strengthening his case for another shot at the belt.

With Gaethje and Oliveira neck-and-neck in the rankings and both coming off high-level wins, it’s understandable why the UFC’s decision to go with Oliveira over Gaethje could be seen as a toss-up. Each man had a legitimate case, but ultimately it was Oliveira who landed the Topuria sweepstakes.

With Dana White remaining noncommittal about Gaethje’s future, the road ahead remains uncertain. However, if history is any indicator, the former champion is unlikely to stay sidelined for long. A clash with the winner of UFC 317 could still be in play—and Gaethje is making sure his name stays in the conversation.

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