On Sunday (June 14, 2026), Justin Gaethje did the impossible in his UFC White House main event.
Not only did Gaethje finally capture undisputed gold after many years and two previous attempts, but “The Highlight” did so in a historic upset over Ilia Topuria, widely touted as the best fighter of the current generation. Despite being nearly a decade older, Gaethje was able to survive Topuria’s early barrage and batter “El Matador,” closing both of his eyes and drastically altering his face en route to a vicious fourth-round corner stoppage (watch highlights here).
It was a remarkable moment for Gaethje’s career even before factoring in the monumental scale of the spectacle event. Opposite one of his greatest challenges, Gaethje really rose to the occasion and put together all his skills to produce the bloody victory.
At 37 years of age and many wars deep, Gaethje is closer to the end of his career than the start. As such, retired UFC legend Demetrious Johnson would like to see Gaethje walk away on top after such a standout performance.
“There is nothing left for Justin Gaethje to do,” Johnson explained on his YouTube page. “World Series of Fighting champion. He’s made so much money in mixed martial arts, probably a double bonus tonight, and I think the bonuses were $485k. He is an undisputed lightweight champion, he’s been the interim champion of the world. There’s nothing left for [Justin Gaethje] to do.
“You guys might hate me for this, but the best thing Justin Gaethje can do is retire. He should retire on this amazing victory against a legend like Ilia Topuria … You retire on top, you save your brain cells, ypu ride off into the sunset. You beat one of the best athletes, you gave him his first f—king defeat, ride away with the White House belt and the undisputed Lightweight championship belt.”
Johnson’s numbers were slightly off, but Gaethje did indeed double dip on bonuses, bringing home an additional $825k for his efforts. Gaethje has been a well-paid fighter for over a decade now, dating back to his WSOF days, and he’s banked the third-most post-fight bonuses in UFC history. If “The Highlight” would like to walk away, he should be financially secure.
… But will he give up on fighting? Gaethje has yet to make an official announcement. It’s quite possible he’s waiting to see the outcome of Max Holloway vs. Conor McGregor 2 next month, as the table has now been set for a possible Gaethje vs. McGregor title fight if the Irishman can pull off a miraculous upset of his own. Laugh if you’d like, but nobody is turning down another potential “red panty night,” particularly given the years of bad blood between athletes.
