Justin Gaethje: 'I'm the most exciting guy that's ever stepped in there'

The UFC 313 co-main event rematch between No. 3 ranked lightweight Justin Gaethje and No. 11 ranked Rafael Fiziev earned 'Fight of the Night' honors and largely lived up to the hype. 

Gaethje was originally scheduled to faced Dan Hooker but a hand injury forced Hooker out of the fight. His injury led to the booking of the rematch. Gaethje and Fiziev previously fought at UFC 286 in 2023 with Gaethje winning via majority decision.

 On Saturday, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Gaethje set the pace and took the fight to the late replacement. In the second round, an uppercut landed cleanly sending Fiziev crashing to the canvas. He recovered and fought on.

"I mean, 12-days notice. For him to not get completely exhausted. He deserves so much credit," Gaethje said about Fiziev after the fight. "That's one tough son of a b*tch."

Who does Justin Gaethje want to fight next?

Gaethje wants to fight for the title again. If the former interim titleholder had his way, he'd be fighting for the world championship in his next fight. 

During his UFC 313 post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Gaethje said that he doesn't have a choice in who her faces next. 

"I'm No. 3 in the world. I'm the most exciting guy that's ever stepped in there, and I don't have a choice. It's all on the UFC. We'll see what they want," he said.

Justin Gaethje: UFC 313 Octagon Interview