Justin Gaethje needed a win at UFC Fight Night 135, and ‘The Highlight’ rose to the occasion and came up big against top-ten lightweight contender, James Vick.

After back-to-back stoppage losses to Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, fans were beginning to question whether or not the former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion was cut out for the big leagues.

Gaethje silenced the doubters with a first-round knockout win in the UFC Fight Night 135 main event, crumpling Vick with a big overhand right and taking home yet another Performance of the Night bonus.

With the win, Gaethje feels he’s ‘right back in the mix’ and would like to fight the loser of the upcoming lightweight title bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor at UFC 229.

“We’re right back in the mix,” Gaethje told TMZ Sports in a recent interview (h/t Tristen Critchfield of Sherdog). “Another one or two wins and I’m in it. Another finish like that. I’ll even fight the loser of Khabib and Conor.”

The 29-year-old, Arizona native is also keeping himself in shape should Anthony Pettis pull out of his lightweight bout with Tony Ferguson in the co-main event.

“If something happens with Anthony Pettis — he stubs a toe or rolls an ankle — I’m in versus him that’s for damn sure….He’s coming off a leg injury; I’ll go and chop it off the rest of the way,” Gaethje said. “My weight’s always good. I don’t cut a lot of weight so that wouldn’t be a problem.”

UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor takes place next month, October 6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.