Justin Gaethje has no intentions of standing by and watching Conor McGregor receive a title shot after losing to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.
As the world awaits news on how the UFC will move forward with the lightweight championship following Khabib’s retirement and Dana White’s apparent failure to convince him to reconsider, there are multiple scenarios floating around of what could happen. One thing seems for certain: If there is a vacant championship match, Dustin Poirier will be one-half of the combatants if he so chooses to be.
Who Would Contend For Lightweight Title If Vacated?
But who would be the other half of a vacant lightweight title fight opposite Dustin Poirier? Would it be Michael Chandler, who was granted Dana White’s blessing to potentially fight Poirier for the title following Chandler’s stellar UFC 257 performance? Would it be Charles Oliveira, who is the highest-ranked fighter in the division (#3) besides Poirier who is coming off a win (eight to be exact)?
Could it even be Conor McGregor? According to his coach John Kavanagh, a trilogy fight for the title is exactly what the McGregor camp is aiming at. #2-ranked lightweight Justin Gaethje isn’t having any of that idea and took great pleasure in seeing McGregor get what Gaethje believes he had coming to him at UFC 257.
“For him to come out and say he wants a title shot next in a rematch with Poirier, or his coach, they are f*****g idiots,” Gaethje said to ESPN (transcript via BJPenn.com). “He has been treated special over and over and over and he didn’t capitalize on this opportunity. That event was for him, that event was for him to win. He wants to be Mr. Humble now but you know he would be an a**hole if he won that fight.
“I don’t feel bad for him, I’m happy for Poirier, I’m happy Poirier went out there did his job, and finished him,” Gaethje continued. “I love seeing a loudmouth get knocked out, there is nothing that makes me happier. Seeing a piece of s**t get put down, that was great, I loved it.”
Justin Gaethje Threatens to Quit the UFC
Justin Gaethje has never been Conor McGregor’s biggest fan. He once referred to McGregor as a “shit human, father, and husband.” Coincidentally, this statement was evoked by McGregor asking for a title rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov back in 2019. McGregor would never get that rematch, and Gaethje warns that he had better not get a title shot against Dustin Poirier, either, lest the UFC wants to risk losing their “Highlight Reel” (via APMMA).
“He’s not fighting for a title,” Gaethje said. “I will think about never fighting in the UFC again if he fights for a title,” Gaethje warned. “That would be preposterous. He’s sitting at number six, he’s won one fight in his entire life in the lightweight division. He picks and chooses who he fights. I would love to fight him but I don’t think it should be next. But he ain’t gonna fight me.”
What are your thoughts on Justin Gaethje’s volatile comments concerning “The Notorious” Conor McGregor?
