UFC News: Justin Gaethje reveals the one condition for him to be named a replacement in Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson fight
Justin Gaethje is next in line for a UFC Championship opportunity at the 155-pound division. However, he's going to have to wait until April 18th, when Khabib Nurmagomedov takes on Tony Ferguson at UFC 248, to get some clarity on the situation.
It's certainly one of the longest spells that Gaethje has had away from the Octagon and he told Luke Thomas of Sirius XM that waiting is a part of the game and he doesn't have an issue with the long layoff.
It's also no secret that Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson is a fight that makes people nervous for different reasons. The fight has been scheduled four times in the past and has been canceled on all four occasions due to various issues.
As a result, UFC will undoubtedly be looking for a backup just in case it falls through and the only viable name right now is Justin Gaethje.
Luke Thomas pointed out that currently, the Lightweight division is stacked with fights, with two Lightweights fighting at Welterweight (Cowboy vs Conor McGregor), Paul Felder taking on Dan Hooker and Dustin Poirier coming off a loss against the Champion.
Gaethje said that he's the "man waiting for the title shot", which is the same thing he said after his last win over Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. When asked by Thomas about whether he would accept being a back-up fighter at UFC 248, Gaethje said he would be fine as long as the UFC pays for his entire training camp.
As mentioned, Gaethje would much rather face the winner of the bout and rightfully so. He has openly stated his intention to fight and he knows that his window of opportunity is small.