Israel Adesanya says Arman Tsarukyan is technically the right next opponent for Justin Gaethje, but acknowledged the UFC may prefer to chase a bigger financial narrative involving Conor McGregor or Max Holloway after UFC 329.
Adesanya spoke on Demetrious Johnson’s YouTube channel.
Technically, yes, Tsarukyan should be the next guy to fight Justin, that would be a crazy fight. But the UFC likes the narratives they can create, and the one with Conor or Max, a revenge match with Max, that would be insane. McGregor vs Gaethje would sell more than Tsarukyan vs Gaethje. They probably do that at the end of the year.
Adesanya also said he does not expect a Gaethje vs. Topuria rematch to happen, and laid out how he sees the lightweight picture unfolding.
Will there be a rematch? Nah, I don’t think so. I think Gaethje should go watch the Max vs Conor fight. Gaethje sitting frontside at Max vs Conor in Vegas. He’s already got the story there with Max, wants revenge. But also Conor and Gaethje would feed families, it would feed f***ing countries. That would be crazy. It would feed everybody, World Vision.
Tsarukyan has already confirmed he expects to be next after defeating Gaethje’s longtime trainer Trevor Wittman’s other fighters, and the two are already engaged in a public feud over a refused truck gesture following UFC Freedom 250. Gaethje himself acknowledged Tsarukyan is “definitely the guy that’s up for the next title shot.”
McGregor faces Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Paramount+.
