UFC Stars Roast Gaethje’s Dad Bod In Brutal Trolling Session

In a blockbuster move shaking up the league, UFC Stars Roast Gaethje’s Dad Bod In Brutal Trolling Session, according to Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) (in the last 24 hours).

Source: https://x.com/Home_of_Fight/status/2083594702960435675

The belly is the new battleground, apparently. Islam Makhachev and Kamaru Usman decided to turn a casual training camp moment into a group project, with both men taking direct aim at Justin Gaethje’s midsection in a bit of social media ribbing that’s making the rounds in the MMA world.

The clip, posted Thursday by Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight), shows the two champions laughing it up at Gaethje’s expense, pointing out what they see as a bit of a gut on “The Highlight.” For anyone who’s followed Gaethje’s career, the image of him carrying any extra weight is almost comical in itself—this is a guy who’s built his entire reputation on violent, high-output brawls. But league sources confirm the footage was taken in a genuinely playful setting, likely at a shared training location, and those close to the situation say there’s no real heat between the trio. It’s just elite athletes doing what elite athletes do when they’re bored between sessions.

But here’s the thing that makes this more than just a funny five-second clip. The front office has been quietly watching the lightweight division shuffle itself for months, and this kind of public interaction between Makhachev and Gaethje doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Makhachev is the sitting lightweight champ, and Gaethje has been circling for another crack at that belt ever since their first meeting ended early in Gaethje’s favor back in October 2024. That loss still stings, and the fact that Makhachev is joking around with him now suggests a level of familiarity that usually means these guys have been in the same room recently—talking, training, or potentially scheduling something bigger.

The timeline here is fluid. There’s been no official fight announcement for Makhachev’s next title defense, and while Gaethje remains a top contender, the UFC has been floating other names like Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria into the mix. Those close to the situation say Gaethje isn’t sweating the wait, and he’s been known to use any slight—real or imagined—as fuel. The belly joke is likely to be clipped and shown to him at least a dozen times before his next walkout.

For now, the takeaway is simple: two future Hall of Famers cracking on a third. But in this sport, you never know when a joke becomes a headline, and a headline becomes a fight announcement. Watch this space.

Source: https://x.com/Home_of_Fight/status/2083594702960435675