LAS VEGAS – Justin Gaethje sees a shot at the UFC lightweight title or a matchup with Conor McGregor as the only logical options for his next fight.
It’s that simple.
Gaethje (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who is one of the top contenders at 155 pounds, has won his past three fights by first-round knockout, stopping Donald Cerrone, Edson Barboza and James Vick. That type of run typically warrants a big opportunity, and now it remains to be seen what that will be.
Rumors have circulated that a potential fight between Gaethje and McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) could be in the works for International Fight Week in July. However, UFC president Dana White has made no secret he’s keen on seeing “The Notorious” fight the winner of next month’s UFC 249 title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.
If the latter happened then Gaethje would be the odd man out, and naturally he’s resistant to the idea of McGregor fighting for a belt before him.
“I think I put myself in a great position to fight for a world title, to try to be the best in the world,” Gaethje said Saturday at Dominance MMA media day. “If Conor wants to go past me, he has to go through me. I think that’s the only way to legitimize the process and make it right. I think that’s the fight.”
As of now, the UFC brass has not commented on a potential Gaethje vs. McGregor fight. However, White recently indicated McGregor might not want to wait around for a title fight and could compete soon. In that case, Gaethje would seem like the obvious foe.
The future seems to largely depend on what happens between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson on April 18 in New York, and Gaethje said he’ll be watching that fight as closely as anyone
“April 18 is a big day for the lightweight division,” Gaethje said. “We’ve been waiting a long time to see this fight, and I can’t wait to watch it.”
You can hear more from Gaethje in the video above.
