Conor McGregor turned down the chance to fight Justin Gaethje before deciding to face Donald Cerrone - it has been claimed.
The 31-year-old Dubliner thrashed veteran UFC lightweight 'Cowboy' Cerrone last month in Las Vegas.
A potential clash between fifth-ranked lightweight Gaethje and McGregor has been rumoured since the Cerrone fight. But Gaethje's manager Ali Abdelaziz - who also manages Khabib Nurmagomedov - quashed suggestions that the fight will be made.
"This rumor about @Justin_Gaethje fighting vs @TheNotoriousMMA is absolutely false," Abdelaziz tweeted.
"He had the opportunity to fight him already instead of cowboy but he didn't.
"Justin is the number one contender and like Khabib said. Conor needs to win 10 fights."
UFC boss Dana White has indicated that McGregor's next opponent will be the winner of April's Khabib v Tony Ferguson showdown.
But Russian lightweight kingpin believes his old foe must prove himself further before he gets another title shot.
"'Cowboy' always loses all his main-event fights, always," he told TMZ. "I don't remember when he win. In the last 10 fights, I think he's lost six or seven times.
"He's not high-level lightweight or welterweight right now. He's not. Of course, he has a big name but his time is finished.
"Conor [needs to] pick very good opponent. Now he come back and beat 'Cowboy,' who lost seven times in his last 10 fights, and then they talk about this guy coming back.
"No, he has to fight really tough opponents like Justin Gaethje or something like this. He has to come back to lightweight division. He has to cut welterweight, and this is just my opinion.
"I think he [is] just ducking tough matchups. Not only just Justin Gaethje, he's just, 'Who's gonna to be my next fight? I need this fight.'
"Of course, he can because he's big star, but anyway, let's talk about me, let's talk about my next fight."
