'I would probably never fight in UFC again' - Justin Gaethje won't take another Conor McGregor title shot lightly
Justin Gaethje, the No. 2 UFC lightweight contender, believes it would be 'preposterous' if the promotion offered Conor McGregor another title fight following his defeat to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.
Justin Gaethje's last performance in the UFC happened in 2020, when "The Highlight" entered the octagon against Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight championship. Khabib submitted Justin Gaethje in the second round of the fight.
Talking about his UFC future with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Justin Gaethje discussed what he thinks would be fair to happen in the 155 lb weight class and how he believes that the promotion already gave Conor McGregor too many chances.
"There's a lot of options right now [in the lightweight division]. I want to get back for the title. My coach knows. He has the same goal as me. So, that's in the future," Justin Gaethje said.
Justin Gaethje said that he would lose interest in fighting in the UFC if the promotion made McGregor versus Poirier III for the lightweight division belt. He highlighted the fact that McGregor has only won once in the 155 lb weight class.
"If [McGregor] fights next for the title, I would probably never fight in the UFC again. That would be preposterous," said Justin Gaethje. "For now, he's still at No. 6. He has won one fight in his entire life in the lightweight division. I have no respect for him in that manner. But yeah, I would like to fight him. I don't think he should be my next fight. I rather fight Dustin Poirier. That's who I want to fight. That's the best man in the division right now if Khabib remains retired."
Justin Gaethje thinks that Conor McGregor is still among the best
In the same interview with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Justin Gaethje acknowledged that Conor McGregor is still one of the best MMA fighters in the UFC. However, he believes that the promotion has given McGregor a special treatment for too long.
"[McGregor] is not wrong [about not competing for so long]. You know, being out for that long, it's got to be detrimental for a lot of things, to a lot of things that he is great at, which are timing, distance, and the thirst for carnage," analyzed Justin Gaethje. "I think [that McGregor is still an elite fighter]. I think he should be ahead of Tony [Ferguson in the lightweight] rankings. But for him to come out and say that he wants the title shot next - a rematch against Poirier - is stupid. He has been treated special over and over [by the UFC], and he didn't capitalize on this opportunity. That event [UFC 257] was for him. It was for him to win."
Check out here: Justin Gaethje's Career Earnings