Dana White Admits Justin Gaethje Is Freezing Lightweight Division As Top Contenders Await Next Move

With UFC events finalized for the rest of the year, the lightweight division is frozen as top contenders Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria await Justin Gaethje's next move.

The 155-pound weight class currently sits in an unexpected holding pattern.

Promotional matchmakers cannot finalize plans for the division until the reigning champion reveals his intentions.

Justin Gaethje captured the undisputed UFC lightweight championship back in June in stunning fashion.

That victory came against Ilia Topuria at the historic UFC Freedom 250 event held at the White House.

Gaethje achieved his ultimate career milestone that night by knocking off the favored Topuria.

Yet, five months after reaching the peak of mixed martial arts, the champion has stepped away from active competition.

UFC CEO Dana White recently addressed the growing stagnation atop the lightweight division during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show.

White made it clear that while options exist, the entire situation hinges entirely on Gaethje.

A DIVISION ON PAUSE

All UFC pay-per-view and Fight Night events are officially booked for the remainder of the calendar year.

That scheduling reality means any potential lightweight championship bout must wait until next year.

In the meantime, the top tier of the 155-pound division remains completely blocked.

Contenders who have spent months training and lobbying for title opportunities find themselves without clear answers.

Gaethje has yet to book his first title defense since capturing the belt at the White House.

Instead of preparing for a challenger in the gym, Gaethje has been enjoying life away from the sport.

White noted that Gaethje has explored several outside ventures following his championship triumph.

The champion took part in Fanatics Fest in New York, participating in competitive challenges, fan events, and WWE-style walkouts.

Gaethje managed to win the athletic competition at Fanatics Fest, outperforming high-profile professional athletes.

More recently, Gaethje has spent considerable time competing in the sport of golf.

He participated in Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy’s 2026 Internet Invitational Golf tournament at Big Cedar Lodge.

Gaethje even captured attention at the golf tournament by landing a full backflip celebration.

DANA WHITE SPEAKS OUT

While Gaethje enjoys his time on the golf course, the UFC front office is looking for clarity.

White acknowledged that the promotion is in regular contact with Gaethje, but no resolution has been reached.

"The big question is, what does Justin Gaethje wanna do?"

White asked during his conversation with Jim Rome.

White emphasized that Gaethje's status as champion comes with imminent career choices.

"Justin’s coming off this unbelievable win at the White House, and he’s an incredible athlete too," White stated.

White then wondered openly about the lightweight king's appetite for future cage fights.

"What does he wanna do next?" White asked.

White highlighted Gaethje’s success away from the Octagon, noting his busy schedule across different events.

"They do that Fanatics Fest in New York, and they have this athletic competition that you have to go through to win," White explained.

White recalled how elite professional athletes regularly enter the competition in hopes of claiming top prizes.

"One year it was a Ferrari, and then I don’t remember what it was last year," White said.

"But yeah, guys like Brady and all these NFL guys enter, and Justin Gaethje won that thing," White added.

The UFC boss then shifted focus directly to Gaethje's golf schedule.

"And then this new golf league that Dave Portnoy’s got," White remarked.

"I heard that Gaethje’s doing well on that too," White continued.

DECISION TIME FOR THE CHAMPION

Despite the friendly tone regarding Gaethje's athletic talents, White acknowledged the operational bottleneck.

The promotion cannot keep the division frozen indefinitely while its champion plays golf.

"I don’t know yet," White admitted when pressed on Gaethje's immediate fighting timeline.

"He’s in the middle of this golf thing that Portnoy is doing," White said.

White confirmed that matchmakers are actively communicating with the lightweight champion to establish his roadmap.

"We’re talking to him, but we’ll figure it out," White explained.

White then issued a direct assessment of what must happen next for the lightweight title picture.

"He’s gonna have to pull the trigger one way or the other, see if he wants to retire or continue to fight," White said.

THE SUPERFIGHT TEMPTATION

The most prominent fight currently linked to Gaethje is a champion versus champion superfight against Alexander Volkanovski.

Volkanovski remains the reigning UFC featherweight champion after recently completing a successful title defense against Movsar Evloev.

The Australian star has made no secret of his desire to capture lightweight gold after two previous failed attempts.

Volkanovski famously challenged former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, including a high-stakes rematch at UFC 294 three years ago.

Now, Volkanovski wants another opportunity to conquer the 155-pound weight class.

White openly welcomed the concept of granting Volkanovski another superfight opportunity.

"That’s a good question," White told Jim Rome when asked about booking Gaethje against Volkanovski.

White made it clear that Volkanovski holds immense respect within the promotion's front office.

"You know, I would pretty much do anything for Alexander Volkanovski at this point in his career," White admitted.

"Great guy, great champion, great athlete," White praised.

However, White reiterated that booking the superfight requires Gaethje's active cooperation.

While Volkanovski is eager for the matchup, Gaethje has yet to formally accept or decline the bout.

CONTENDERS TRAPPED IN THE LOGJAM

The potential superfight between Gaethje and Volkanovski leaves legitimate lightweight contenders stranded in limbo.

Arman Tsarukyan stands at the forefront of the frustrated title hopefuls.

Tsarukyan has established himself as the premier lightweight contender through a dominant run inside the Octagon.

Over the past several weeks, Tsarukyan has repeatedly called out Gaethje for an undisputed lightweight title clash.

Yet Tsarukyan has received no response from the champion.

If the UFC moves forward with Gaethje against Volkanovski, Tsarukyan would once again be bypassed for the championship.

Meanwhile, former champion Ilia Topuria is also waiting for clarity on Gaethje's next move.

Topuria has kept a notably low profile following his title loss at UFC Freedom 250.

The former featherweight and lightweight king has recently returned to active training.

Topuria has made it known that he wants an immediate rematch against Gaethje to reclaim the lightweight belt.

White addressed Topuria’s current status when speaking with Jim Rome.

The UFC CEO confirmed that Topuria will not return to the Octagon before the end of this year.

"He’ll be back in ’27. We’re working on that too," White said regarding Topuria's timeline.