Gaethje Says He’ll Go To War With UFC If McGregor Gets Next Title Shot
When Conor McGregor announced he was returning at the end of 2019, many fans felt that Justin Gaethje deserved to welcome the Irishman back to the Octagon. Instead, ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone got the honours and faced ‘The Notorious’ in the UFC 246 main event.
McGregor’s return would last less than a minute however, as he ran through ‘Cowboy’ in just 40 seconds. After the fight, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Conor had earned the right to face the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, who are set to fight for the lightweight title in the UFC 249 main event.
These comments obviously didn’t sit well with Gaethje, who hit back at Dana at the time. With McGregor hinting that he doesn’t want to wait for the winner of Khabib and Tony, and Justin coming off three straight first round finishes, many fans are calling for ‘The Notorious’ and ‘The Highlight’ to face off for the chance to fight for the UFC lightweight title.
Speaking to TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter ahead of UFC 248 however (as transcribed by MMA Mania), Gaethje said he doesn’t think the UFC will risk giving him McGregor.
”He can’t lose how you lose to me. If he loses how you lose to me, he can never be Conor McGregor again. He can never say the things that Conor McGregor says. He can get tapped out. He can get submitted two more times in there and still talk like Conor McGregor. But to lose to me? There’s only one way to lose. Someone’s gotta die, me or you. Metaphorically.
”It’s crazy what I’m dealing with, but I just have to sit here and be ready.”
If however, the ‘cash cow’ McGregor decides he won’t take a fight in the meantime and the UFC give him the next shot against the winner of Khabib and Ferguson, Gaethje said he would go to war with Dana and the promotion.
”Dana White knows it’s because of politics and money. We all know that. It’s not a lie or a secret. I don’t know what that man’s … I don’t know what he’s talking about. I don’t know what … I knew what he was talking about as much or the same as I knew [when] I was supposed to fight Conor. They said they offered it, he put that out in the media. They never f***ing called me. They never said a word to me. That’s all bulls***.
”[McGregor] is the cash cow. We all need him. I need him, you need him, Dana needs him. But yeah, If you take food off my table, I’m going to go to f***ing war with you. I want a say in my destiny and I’m not going to allow politics to take that from me.”
Also when speaking to ESPN this past weekend, Gaethje reiterated his point, by saying he would go as far as to throw a punch at Dana, should McGregor get a title shot ahead of him.
”I’ll get fired. I’ll punch [Dana] in the f***ing nose. If you’re going to take away an opportunity off my table, then I’m going to f***ing fight you. I don’t know what you want me to do. It’s not fair, and I’m not going to stand for it. I’m very levelheaded. I respect the boss. But if he f***ing tries … that, I’m going to war.”
Gaethje’s manager Ali Abdelaziz has stated in the past that if McGregor wants another shot at Khabib, he has to go through Justin first. And speaking to ESPN, Abdelaziz echoed his previous comments.
“If Khabib wins on April 18th, Conor McGregor is not getting a title shot — simple. Dana White is the best promoter of all time because he understands fighting and matchmaking. The only way Conor McGregor can fight for a title is if he beats someone like Justin Gaethje. If he were to do that, it would be hard to deny him.
“The reason why I don’t think he’s fought Justin Gaethje is I think out of everybody in the UFC, Justin Gaethje takes people to a different place. Many people break. And we’ve seen Conor McGregor break before. Justin Gaethje is a nightmare matchup for him.”
Although Nate Diaz put his name back in the mix last week by directing a tweet at the former UFC two division champion, McGregor vs Gaethje is the fight to make. There would be no doubt then that the winner would deserve to face the winner of Khabib and Ferguson next.
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