For the second time in two years, Justin Gaethje was the fresher fighter against Rafael Fiziev when it mattered most and the lightweight action star now finds himself on the verge of another big fight.

Justin Gaethje believes an "outstanding performance" against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 will put him in the running for the next title shot against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.Gaethje accepted Fiziev as a short-notice replacement earlier this week after Dan Hooker withdrew from the original March 8 co-main event due to a hand injury.

That’s what played out Saturday night as Gaethje defeated Fiziev in their hastily booked rematch, earning a hard-fought unanimous decision with scores of 29-28 from all three judges. The lightweight bout was the UFC 313 co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.