Last week saw two major fights announced – both relevant to the UFC lightweight division.
Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone will elevate to 170 pounds to headline UFC 246 on Jan. 18. Three months later, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will defend his title against Tony Ferguson at an April 18 event expected to be UFC 249.
While much of the upper echelon of the UFC lightweight division has been booked, Justin Gaethje’s future remains uncertain. Riding a three-fight winning streak with as many first-round knockouts in that time, Gaethje doesn’t have a fight scheduled.
On Monday, Gaethje joined “The Luke Thomas Show” to discuss his future. While some contenders are hesitant to sit on the shelf healthy for months in order to get their crack at a title, Gaethje doesn’t seem to mind.
“Ultimately, I got into this for one reason – to fight for a world championship,” Gaethje said. “If that’s at the end of the rope, then absolutely. I don’t want to. I’m not getting any younger, but I want to fight for the world title. I’m not going to be a tool; I’m going to make smart business decisions from here on out. Not strictly, but right now, three wins in a row, three knockouts, three first-round finishes in a row. Yeah, that’s what I’m looking for.
“I’m planning on trying to maybe be ready for around (April 18) just in case something happens. But it’s super hard for me to get up for a training camp or a fight if I don’t have an opponent. So I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”
When asked if he would consider being a standby replacement for the fifth booking of Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson, Gaethje made it clear he’s not opposed.
“If they cover the cost of the training camp, then I’m in,” Gaethje said. “I need to get in shape again anyways, so it wouldn’t hurt. You know what it is. Financially it’s a commitment, especially for a fight like that, you know? I want to fight Khabib. I’ve got to fight Khabib. If that’s how it goes down, I’ll only be mad at myself if I’m not ready for it.”
Regardless of timeframes, opponents or dates, Gaethje believes he is unequivocally next in line. In his eyes, there isn’t anyone who logically stands between him and the next crack at 155-pound gold.
“I’m the guy waiting for the title shot,” Gaethje said. “I’ve got the winner of the fight in April as far as I’m concerned. Three knockouts in a row. I’m not sure what else I need to do. If there’s someone else in the way, I’d have to go through them. But I don’t think there is, so the winner of that is looking like the most likely.”
Justin Gaethje 'not going to be a tool,' content staying patient for UFC title shot