LAS VEGAS – Justin Gaethje is eager to get back in there but won’t accept just any fight.
Gaethje (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who’s coming off three straight first-round finishes, has been campaigning hard for a fight with former dual-champ Conor McGregor, but to no avail.
That doesn’t mean he’s willing to just step in against any random opponent, though, because Gaethje thinks he’s positioned himself for a big opportunity.
“No, not outside Khabib (Nurmagomedov) or Tony (Ferguson),” Gaethje said this past Saturday at a Dominance MMA media event. “There’s not really any names outside that.”
“I won’t allow myself to be sold short. No, I absolutely – three first-round knockouts in a row. At the time, in hindsight Vick wasn’t a big win, but at the time, I was coming off two losses in a row, it was a huge fight for me. He was what, 8-1, 9-1, in the UFC before I touched him, and now it’s different but Edson Barboza is a killer, ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone is a killer. So yeah, I don’t know what else they want me to do, I’m not going to get on my knees, I’ll tell you that.”
It’s been almost six months since Gaethje last fought, but with McGregor’s next move uncertain, all “The Highlight” can do for the time being is stay ready.
“This is the name of the game,” Gaethje said. “It’s a whole lot of nothing, and then action, and then back to nothing. I fight. It’s going to be almost eight, nine months now, so it’s very hard to stay focused, but ultimately I know I’m going to have a fight, and I know it’s going to be a big fight, so if I’m not ready or I make the choices to not be ready now, I will never forgive myself.”
