5 reasons why the UFC should book Conor McGregor vs. Justin Gaethje
Conor McGregor has not been seen inside the octagon since UFC 264. The last memory fight fans have of the Irishman was his vitriolic post-fight interview where he aimed death threats at Dustin Poirier before claiming that his rival's wife, Jolie Poirier, had messaged him on Instagram.
Afterwards, in a karmic twist, McGregor was carried out of the cage on a stretcher, just as he had sworn Poirier would during the pre-fight buildup to their shocking bout. Now recovering from a broken tibia, 'The Notorious' has not been booked to potentially face anyone since July of last year.
Despite Charles Oliveira's best attempts at convincing UFC President Dana White to schedule a bout between him and McGregor in Brazil, no such matchup has come to fruition. McGregor continues his journey on the road to recovery while White remains adamant that 'The Notorious' is not yet ready to return to the octagon.
As eager as Oliveira is for a much sought-after money fight with Conor McGregor, he is too far up the rankings for a return bout for the Irishman, least of all if 'Do Bronx' successfully recaptures his UFC lightweight title in his upcoming matchup with Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.
A better and more sensible option for McGregor is Justin Gaethje, and this list outlines the 5 reasons why.
#5. Conor McGregor vs. Justin Gaethje is guaranteed to end in a KO
Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje are among the best strikers in the UFC lightweight division.
Both men possess the same number of KO/TKO victories at 19. A bout between them can only end in a thrilling knockout for one of them. Often times, when a matchup is scheduled between two powerful strikers, there is a risk that it could devolve into a sloppy grappling affair or a timid kickboxing match. However, neither is possible with a McGregor-Gaethje matchup.
'The Notorious' is a pressure fighter by nature. He sprints across the cage at the onset of every round, immediately getting in his foe's face as he looks to pressure them to the fence with front kicks and spinning back kicks to the body. Furthermore, McGregor plays with range in a multitude of ways. First, he disguises his foot placement to dupe opponents into thinking he's farther away than he is.
If the fight happens at 155 (where it should) Justin Gaethje may well be the first person to KO/TKO Conor McGregor. Justin can still make it happen at 170 for sure, but I feel that the higher weight class favours McGregor. Thoughts? https://t.co/wKuoDqhtcA
He throws non-committal jabs and straight lefts that fall short of landing to convince his opponent that he's not close enough to hit them. Additionally, the strikes blind his opponents, allowing him to quietly shuffle his feet closer to his foes while his fist occupies their eyes. It is then that McGregor follows up with a committed blow that stuns his duped opponents.
Justin Gaethje, by contrast, is a vicious counterpuncher who often baits his opponents with hard low kicks, convincing them to try countering him over the top when his kicking leg is off the mat. If his foe obliges, Gaethje rolls under their punch, pivoting at an angle to punish them with a 1-2 on their open side. Alternatively, he'll throw a right cross to coax the counter before rolling under to counter the counter with a left hook.
In short, a McGregor-Gaethje bout is a car crash waiting to happen. One is a sniping pressure fighter and the other is a heavy-handed counterpuncher. They feed into each other. If the UFC hopes to book McGregor's return bout, why not opt for a guaranteed thriller?