Dana White gives shocking response to Justin Gaethje’s ultimatum for title shot against Ilia Topuria

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Justin Gaethje laid out a clear ultimatum ahead of UFC 317: give him a title shot, or he’ll retire. After the event, Dana White had a response – and it wasn’t what Gaethje was hoping for.

Ilia Topuria fulfilled his promise to knock out Charles Oliveira in the first round on Saturday night. Now the Spaniard is the new lightweight champion and is already keen on his next fight.

Several names are in the mix for Topuria’s first title defence. Paddy Pimblett entered the cage and had a face-to-face moment with the Spanish fighter after the win for the vacant belt.

Arman Tsarukyan was the main event backup and believes he has a strong case. Justin Gaethje also made headlines by declaring he would retire if he wasn’t chosen for the next title shot, but Dana White doesn’t seem to favour this idea.

Dana White suggests Gaethje should ‘probably retire’

Despite Gaethje’s standing with fans and his back-up role, it doesn’t look like he’ll be the next in line – and Dana White didn’t mince words when asked about Gaethje’s comments during the UFC 317 post-fight press conference.

“Listen, everybody has their opinions on, listen, if you’re thinking about retiring, you know how I feel about that, you should probably retire,” White said. “We love Justin Gaethje, and Justin Gaethje did step up … but to say unless you give me a title shot otherwise I’m retiring – that’s pretty whacky.”

Topuria’s camp has praised Tsarukyan, but White stated again that he’s not next in line. With several fighters in the mix, no clear front-runner has emerged to challenge Topuria next.

• READ MORE: UFC 317 debutant fired on the spot after weighing in 10lbs heavy for International Fight Week

Ilia Topuria’s first title defence remains up in the air

Topuria’s next opponent isn’t confirmed yet, especially after White ruled out Tsarukyan. And while White wasn’t thrilled about how Pimblett entered the conversation, Ilia vs Pimblett still looks like the most likely fight to be made at present.