Ali Abdelaziz is advocating for Justin Gaethje to get the next lightweight title shot against Ilia Topuria. The prominent MMA manager has been vocal about his client deserving a championship opportunity over other contenders in the division.
"Nothing has changed. Justin remains firm in wanting to fight for the title in his next bout. I support him 100%. It's right to give him a title fight," Abdelaziz told Submission Radio.
Ilia Topuria captured the lightweight belt from Charles Oliveira on June 28th and has since been linked to several potential challengers. Paddy Pimblett and Arman Tsarukyan have been frequently mentioned as possible opponents for the Hispanic-Georgian fighter.
However, Abdelaziz acknowledged that there is one fighter who might have a stronger claim than Gaethje. "If they say they're going to give Arman a title fight before Justin, I agree with them. He's number one. He's on an incredible winning streak," he explained.
Interestingly, Gaethje's path to a title shot was derailed earlier this year. The fighter nicknamed "The Highlight" was knocked out by Max Holloway in a brutal fashion at UFC 300, which forced him to take an 11-month break from competition for recovery.
Upon his return, Gaethje defeated Rafael Fiziev, who stepped in on short notice to replace Dan Hooker. This victory has put him back in the title conversation.
"It would be a total car crash," Abdelaziz said about a potential Gaethje-Topuria matchup. "Whoever connects first will go to sleep. That's my opinion. Topuria might try to wrestle with Justin. I think Justin Gaethje is too dangerous to just stand in front of and throw punches."
By the way, Abdelaziz mentioned that Tsarukyan might be matched up with Dan Hooker next, which would potentially clear the path for Gaethje's title opportunity.
Will the UFC grant Gaethje another shot at lightweight gold, or will Topuria face a different challenger for his first title defense?
