Justin Gaethje warned that he would 'riot' if he misses out on a title shot next - and that was before he delivered a brutal, brilliant display to beat Michael Chandler.
The American banished the ghost of Khabib Nurmagomedov by finally stepping back into the octagon and putting his name right back in the frame.
UFC 268's curtain-raiser on the main card was always going to be full of thrills and spills but Gaethje may have even exceeded expectations with a wildly entertaining combination of heart and technique.
Islam Makhachev (left) and Justin Gaethje both have legitimate claims for the next title shot
Lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is taking on Dustin Poirier on December 11 and the victor will surely face either Gaethje or Islam Makhachev next.
Both men have legitimate claims but only one will be given the nod from the UFC.
So who is more deserving of the next opportunity? Here, Sportsmail assesses the arguments for both men.
Charles Oliveira (L) and Dustin Poirier (R) fight for the belt on December 11
Recent record
This is the weakest argument for the American. It had been more than a year between his failed title shot against Khabib and Saturday's victory.
The Dagestani blew him away with a second-round finish and few predicted the man who retired as pound-for-pound No 1 would brush Gaethje aside in the manner he did.
In normal circumstances, it would take more than just one win to earn another opportunity. But the fact that Khabib retired does inevitably change things.
There was a power vacuum and the lightweight division is only just coming through an uncertain 12 months.
Gaethje was superb in a battle of skill and will against Michael Chandler at UFC 268
Dustin Poirier turned down a title shot, Charles Oliveira won the vacant belt and in the eyes of many, a true champion will only be crowned when they meet on December 11.
Gaethje may have only fought once since last October but Chandler came in fully motivated, prepared and chucked the kitchen sink at his countryman.
There's no doubting he is top competition and it was a statement win, even without a finish.
What has he said?
Before Saturday's win, Gaethje claimed: 'Absolutely it does (get me a title shot). If not, we riot… If I win Saturday and I don't get a shot, I riot. Like, there's no way I can let that happen and go away quiet.
'I know a lot of people just call me a little b**** for whining but I don't know. I guess I just sit back, let my manager do what he's supposed to do and make the right thing happen.
'It kind of threw things into the loop when Khabib retired. I waited for someone to fight, there was no fights available up until this point, and this is the perfect fight to get me right in that picture.'
The American failed to find a finish against Chandler but it was still a great performance
And in the wake of his win, he added: 'Hopefully it's [Charles] Oliveira down in Brazil or Poirier in Louisiana, I don't give a f***. I'm ranked No 2 . I just got an impressive win. Of course, who else?'
Well, he knows exactly who else it might be. And he even addressed the point, arguing Makhachev's win over Dan Hooker was not as impressive as it seemed.
'He's lost four out of his last five I believe, Hooker', said Gaethje. 'It was a late replacement fight. It's not like he trained for that fight. He (Makhachev) still has not fought a top-calibre fighter in the UFC. That's my mindset.'
Pay-per-view lure
There's a reason Gaethje is nicknamed 'The Highlight'. He is never in a dull fight and seven of his eight fights in the UFC have earned either Fight of the Night or Performance of the Night bonuses.
He is confident enough on the mic but the real selling point is his history of absolute wars.
Gaethje takes exception to being called a wild or chaotic fighter and believes he is far more tactically astute than fans give him credit for.
Gaethje had been out of action since losing against Khabib Nurmagomedov last year
He marches forwards, lands brutal leg kicks and slowly tries to hammer his way to victory on the feet despite his collegiate wrestling background.
There's a reason the UFC opted to open the main card on Saturday with Gaethje vs Chandler, which the fighters themselves dubbed the 'people's main event'.
A clash between him and Oliveira would inevitably sell well.
Match-up on paper
As a spectacle, Gaethje matches up well with almost anyone. His defensive wrestling is sensational, meaning he can force opponents to stay in his world on the feet.
Charles Oliveira is a jiu-jitsu genius but would have real issues taking
