TLDR
- Justin Gaethje says he had no chance of beating Khabib Nurmagomedov after the first round of their UFC 254 fight
- Gaethje won the first round on two scorecards but felt completely drained physically and mentally afterward
- The current UFC lightweight champion believes a rematch with Khabib would not have changed the outcome
- Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria in June 2026 to win the lightweight title after previous losses to Khabib and Charles Oliveira
- The UFC is giving Gaethje time to decide his future as he considers whether to defend his championship
Sources: yardbarker.com | mmajunkie.usatoday.com
UFC Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje recently opened up about his 2020 title fight loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, saying he had no chance of winning after the first round ended.
Gaethje spoke on the One Night Steiny podcast following his June 2026 victory over Ilia Topuria at the White House. He has been discussing his UFC future on various podcasts since the win.
The fighter reflected on his UFC 254 loss to Nurmagomedov, which ended in a second-round triangle choke. Nurmagomedov retired and vacated the lightweight title after that fight.
Young Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov break down ground and clinch sweeps to secure top position, many years ago when Khabib had just entered the UFC and Islam had only two professional fights under his belt.
These are skills they developed under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov… pic.twitter.com/QGW3avXQ6j
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) September 25, 2026
Physical and Mental Drain Changed Everything
Gaethje said he won the first round on two of the three judges’ scorecards. However, the effort required to win that opening round left him completely drained.
“I beat Khabib in the first round on two of the three scorecards, and it took everything in my body to win that first round,” Gaethje explained. “I wasn’t going to win after that.”
The lightweight champion found a comfortable pace early in the fight while both men stayed standing. He managed to get inside on Nurmagomedov during the opening round.
But Gaethje recalled feeling physically and mentally exhausted after those first five minutes. He believes that exhaustion changed the outcome of the entire fight.
“I wasn’t gonna win that fight after the first round,” Gaethje stated clearly on the podcast.
No Rematch Would Have Made a Difference
Gaethje dismissed the idea that a rematch with Nurmagomedov would have produced a different result. He acknowledged how great the retired champion truly was.
The loss to Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 was one of two title fight defeats for Gaethje. He also lost to Charles Oliveira in a championship bout.
Six years after the Khabib fight, Gaethje’s career took a dramatic turn. He lost to Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April 2024 in their BMF title fight.
That loss came in the closing seconds of the bout. But Gaethje bounced back to win an interim title decision against Paddy Pimblett in January 2026.
The interim title victory set up his undisputed championship fight with Topuria. Gaethje upset Topuria at the White House event to capture the lightweight belt.
Gaethje has said he would have considered retirement if he had lost to Pimblett. The continuous opportunities followed by defeats had taken their toll.
The UFC appears open to whatever Gaethje decides about his future. The organization is accepting of his time off as 2027 approaches.
Gaethje now has time to decide if defending his title once is enough. The weight of previous losses and near-misses is finally off his back after capturing the championship.
