Din Thomas believes Justin Gaethje’s storybook title win at UFC Freedom 250 is the perfect moment to walk away from the sport.
Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria in the main event on Sunday at the White House in Washington DC to claim the lightweight title, handing Topuria the first loss of his professional career. The bout was stopped after Round 4 following doctor intervention and a corner stoppage for Topuria, securing Gaethje the undisputed belt on his third attempt.
“I feel it's the time to walk away,” Thomas said, emphasizing how complete he feels Gaethje’s resume has become. “You can't get any better. You can't top this. But that's me looking from the outside. I don't know how he feels about his career and so forth. He's the most entertaining fighter ever, has had one of the most iconic careers, the stats. You won't top that, and he did top that on Sunday night.”
Thomas added that he is “leaning toward I want to see him retire,” praising Gaethje’s legacy and status with fans, but acknowledged that Gaethje’s own desires could lead him to continue. Still, if Gaethje does fight on, Thomas sees only a narrow path forward.
“There are three fights I would be OK with him coming back for,” Thomas said, naming Conor McGregor, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira as the only matchups that “would actually truly make sense,” while stating, “For as great as Arman is and his stock rose not fighting, I don't think Arman fits into the equation.”
