Justin Gaethje has his eyes on the champ and no one else.
The UFC interim lightweight champion wants to unify his title with the promotion’s undisputed 155-pound champion Khabib Nurmagomedov more than any other lucrative offers – including a potential bout with UFC superstar Conor McGregor. Gaethje (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is firm on wanting to fight for gold, despite pundits saying he’d take a McGregor “money fight” if offered
“I could fight him right now if I wanted to,” Gaethje said, on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience. “Everyone is going to say that I’m lying and that I would take (the fight with McGregor). Daniel Cormier said that the other day, (but) I’m not that fighter.
“For one, I have the opportunity to do something that can be unmatched in the history of our sport. To go in there coming off the circumstances to beat Tony like I did, go beat Khabib, go beat Conor, that’s legendary.”
Gaethje was considered a top contender at lightweight prior to getting the interim title at UFC 249 in early May. Many thought he deserved the shot after Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov, but UFC president Dana White expressed much interest in having McGregor fight for the belt next. This potentially jeopardized Gaethje’s chances to fight for gold.
After COVID-19 travel bans prohibited Nurmagomedov from entering the U.S. to defend his belt however, the UFC pitted Gaethje and Ferguson for the interim belt. Now interim champion, the 31-year-old wants to make a statement on the politics of the fight game by refusing the McGregor offer if placed on the table.
“I’m in a great position because, for one, I get to fight for a title,” Gaethje said. “There’s 500 people on this roster and every single one of them would love to be in this position right now. But I also have the ability to bring some kind of rhyme or reason, a way to a title shot for young guys that come in and think politics run the show. They ultimately do, but there’s one small chance you get a say in your destiny and eliminate politics and that’s what I just did.
“Politics were going to (expletive) me. I wasn’t going to get the fight, Conor was going to somehow, some way get that fight, but now I get a chance to go out there and I do what I did.”
Gaethje recognizes the upside to fighting McGregor and does have interest in fighting the former champ-champ eventually, but just not yet.
“Business-wise, the smart move would be (to) fight Conor right now because that’s obviously a lot of money,” Gaethje said. “But I make more money when I beat Khabib, and then fight (McGregor). And if Conor is not there, I’ll fight Poirier. He’s not on my list, Conor. Khabib and Poirier are the two on my list right now. If I fight both and make good pay days, then I’m good.”
Justin Gaethje wouldn't trade Khabib title fight for Conor McGregor money fight
