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UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has provided a new update on his future retirement from mixed martial arts.

Following on from his championship triumph at UFC Freedom 250, there were plenty of questions regarding what exactly would be next for Justin Gaethje. Now, it seems that the path forward includes a possible rematch against Ilia Topuria, or maybe a showdown with the winner of the upcoming Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy fight.

RELATED: Justin Gaethje surprisingly supports Arman Tsarukyan’s long wait for UFC title shot

Alongside that, some have suggested that Justin Gaethje should ride off into the sunset and retire, given that he has now finally achieved his ultimate goal. Up to this point, there hasn’t been a concrete answer one way or the other from the champ.

In a recent interview, Justin Gaethje had the following to say on the subject.

Justin Gaethje discusses retirement

“I’ve fought twice this year, I have deep bone bruise in my knee, I can’t punch with my hand still so I really need to recover and I know for a fact I won’t fight again this year,” he said on the MightyCast YouTube channel.

“I do know I’ve just performed better than I’ve ever performed and statistically that shouldn’t have happened… I have a family, I’ve always trusted and told my parents, my brothers, my sister, my coaches, that I need them to have a conversation with me whenever the time needs to come.

“I really rely on them and lean on them to help me through this choice, I think it’s a big choice. But I do think I’m a business and I need to approach this like a business… I need to have different conversations and see what life looks like. I haven’t made a decision, I don’t know (whether I will return),” he continued.

Quotes via Bloody Elbow

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