Justin Gaethje admits another UFC 300-like defeat could open the door to his retirement: "If I go to sleep like I just went to sleep, I'm done"

Justin Gaethje reiterated that he would not hang around in the competitive sphere of MMA to take unnecessary damage. 'The Highlight' is one of the most exciting fighters in the sport. Absorbing and dishing out unusually high levels of damage has been central to his fighting style. As a result, there have been concerns about the impact of this approach on his long-term health.

Despite this, Gaethje's chin has held up against some of the most elite fighters in the lightweight division. This was until UFC 300 when Max Holloway viciously knocked him out with a vicious right hand in the closing moments of their BMF title fight.

The 35-year-old had previously stated that he would call it a career if an opponent knocked him out cold. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Gaethje shared his thoughts on retirement, saying:

"The statement [meant] that once I know that I cannot win the undisputed championship belt or fight for one, then I might as well hang up the gloves. I do not believe I've reached that point. Whether I'm the champion or not... If I ever go to sleep like I just went to sleep, I'm done. I'm not doing it three more times or two more times, I'm doing it one more time if I have to. I'm not choosing that but it's always a possibility and if it happens, I'm done."

Check out Justin Gaethje's comments below (7:34):

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Justin Gaethje thinks he could get another shot at the lightweight title under current circumstances

UFC CEO Dana White had announced UFC 300's Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan as the lightweight title eliminator bout. Tsarukyan, who emerged victorious, was handed a nine-month suspension by NSAC for punching a fan during his walkout.

This resulted in Dustin Poirier getting a lightweight title shot against Islam Makhachev coming off a single win over Benoit Saint Denis. This was after the Louisiana native's UFC 291 KO loss against Justin Gaethje.

Speaking in the aforementioned interview with MMA Fighting, Gaethje, who finds himself in a similar situation as Poirier, said:

"There's always those sets of circumstances that can lead to [me getting the title shot]. I think [Islam Makhachev's] fight with Arman Tsarukyan is next and then after that, I think, there's another opportunity for somebody - like how Dustin Poirier stepped in [for the UFC 302 title fight]. There's not a clear contender. So, I think I have to fight and win... And then I'm right back in there." [1:12]