Gaethje’s Next Move Holds the Key to a Volkanovski Lightweight Superfight
Dana White says a 2027 clash with Volkanovski is possible if Gaethje keeps fighting. His choice could also reshape the lightweight title picture.
Justin Gaethje’s decision after winning the lightweight title will shape two divisions’ plans for 2027. Dana White is ready to make a champion-versus-champion bout with Alexander Volkanovski, but says the next step rests with Gaethje, who has yet to say whether he’ll continue fighting.
That leaves the UFC with a compelling matchup in view and a more immediate question to answer: what happens to the lightweight belt if its new champion wants one more challenge, or decides his title-winning performance was his last? A Volkanovski fight would carry major appeal, but it could also affect Arman Tsarukyan, who is presented as a deserving next challenger.
Gaethje has the decision
White outlined his position during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show. He said he supports Volkanovski’s request to face Gaethje in 2027, following the Australian’s featherweight title defense against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333. But White made clear that his interest doesn’t settle the matchup: Gaethje must first decide whether he wants another fight.
“I would pretty much do anything for Alexander Volkanovski at this point in his career,” White said, praising the champion as a “great guy, great athlete, great champion.” He then turned to the uncertainty around Gaethje: “The big question is: what does Justin Gaethje wanna do?”
White called Gaethje’s recent result “this unbelievable win” and said the UFC is talking with him. “I don’t know yet… We’re talking to him, but we’ll figure it out,” White said. “He’s going to have to pull the trigger one way or another.” That leaves the bout at the proposal stage; Gaethje has not disclosed what he intends to do next.
Gaethje finished Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 to win the lightweight championship. Afterward, he suggested that the fight could be his final appearance in the Octagon. The contrast is stark: a fighter who has just reached the top of his division may be weighing retirement at the same moment the sport’s biggest names are asking for him.
A title fight with a division-wide consequence
If Gaethje chooses to compete again, Tsarukyan becomes central to the decision. The article identifies him as a clear and deserving next challenger, while also noting that he has been passed over before. A Gaethje-Volkanovski bout for the lightweight title could therefore prompt a strong reaction from fans if Tsarukyan is bypassed again.
One possible route would be for Gaethje to vacate the belt before facing Volkanovski. That would let the proposed superfight proceed while Tsarukyan competes against another contender for the vacant lightweight championship. The source doesn’t say that this plan has been chosen; it presents it as one way to address the title picture if Gaethje remains active and pursues the matchup.
That distinction matters. Gaethje’s choice isn’t just about accepting or declining an opponent. It may determine whether the lightweight division gets a title defense, a new champion, or a champion-versus-champion bout without the belt at stake. Until he makes his intentions known, the promotion has to keep those possibilities open.
Volkanovski faces a different kind of test
Volkanovski, 38, is also approaching the final stage of his UFC career, though his recent form has kept the door open to another move up in weight. The article points to wins over Diego Lopes and Evloev as results that may have earned him a fresh opportunity at lightweight. White’s willingness to accommodate his request reflects that standing, but Gaethje’s answer remains the deciding factor.
The Australian has already competed at 155 pounds against Islam Makhachev, now a welterweight champion. He challenged Makhachev twice in 2023. At UFC 284, Volkanovski went five rounds and pushed the bout close enough that some observers thought he had earned the decision. He later accepted a short-notice rematch at UFC 294, where Makhachev stopped him by knockout in the first round.
A fight with Gaethje would demand a different preparation. Makhachev’s wrestling shaped the challenge in their first meeting; Gaethje’s reputation rests on forceful, high-volume striking and an all-action approach. The matchup would test whether Volkanovski’s success at featherweight can translate into another run at lightweight, while giving Gaethje a chance to meet a fellow champion if he decides his title-winning night wasn’t his last.
For now, there’s no confirmed fight and no stated plan from Gaethje. The next meaningful development is his choice: retire as champion, defend against Tsarukyan, or make room for Volkanovski. Whatever he decides will set the direction of the lightweight title picture and determine whether this cross-division clash becomes more than an appealing idea.
