After KO of James Vick, Justin Gaethje wants a meeting with the UFC and a vacation

Last night, in the main event of UFC Lincoln, Justin Gaethje and James Vick stepped into the cage together to settle weeks of pre-fight trash talk. In the end, the former World Series of Fighting champion Gaethje came out on top in emphatic fashion, melting his rival with a blistering first-round punch.

Given the bad blood between Gaethje and Vick, it should come as no surprise that this was a feel-good moment for the former. That said, Gaethje was quick to bury the hatchet with his rival post fight. After initially flipping him off, he approached Vick and gave him some props.

“I said, ‘It’s what we do, man – it could have been me, it could have been you,’” Justin Gaethje told MMAjunkie of his post-fight exchange with Vick. “I don’t want to (expletive) on that guy right now. He’s going to (expletive) on himself enough.

“You need to be true to yourself. If that is James, then (expletive) him. But I don’t think he’s that kind of guy. I’m glad that I taught him a lesson.”

“It’s going to be hard for him to look himself in the mirror tomorrow. That was my plan. I want him to look at himself in the mirror tomorrow. He’s not going to.”

While many fighters have callouts prepared after a big win, Gaethje doesn’t seem focused on his next fight at present. Instead, he’s interested in scheduling a meeting with the UFC, and on taking a well-deserved vacation.

“It should get me a business meeting with the UFC,” Gaethje said, speaking of the ramifications of his big win. “The way I put it on the line, I need all my money up front. And that’s how it should work for people like me.”

“I’ve fought four times in 13 months – give me a break,” he added “I’ve never been to Hawaii, I’ve never been to Jamaica, I’ve never bought a house. Let me do some things before you put me back in camp.”

What do you think the future holds for Justin Gaethje after UFC Lincoln?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 8/26/2018.