Once upon a time, Justin Gaethje might have viewed Conor McGregor as a dream matchup. It is perhaps a mark of how far the Irishman’s star has fallen that this is no longer the case, with Gaethje declaring a “0%” chance of the two ever meeting in the Octagon.
Gaethje told ESPN MMA that his “ultimate goal” was to take out then-champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, and follow it up with a victory over McGregor.
Why Justin Gaethje Will NEVER Fight Conor McGregor
“In my mind, the ultimate goal was to beat Khabib and then Conor. And that was tenfold, and that was worth the risk.
So that was what I chose. But that could’ve been a possibility then maybe, but I’d say the chances (of fighting McGregor now) are 0%…because I don’t think he’ll fight if once or twice, and it won’t be guys like me. It’ll be guys like Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal—favorable matchups.”
If nothing else, that sentiment simply reinforces how rapidly things can change in mixed martial arts. Khabib retired immediately following the Gaethje fight, leaving a power vacuum at 155 pounds that was quickly filled by Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira. Conor McGregor succumbed to two consecutive knockout losses – after never being knocked out before – at the hands of Dustin Poirier.
Gaethje is happy to leave the past in the past. “I’m sure it’ll go down in history as I had an opportunity to fight him in between Tony and Khabib, but I don’t know if I did. I never got an offer. I never got any kind of official offer.”
The broken leg McGregor sustained in his third fight with Dustin Poirier will keep him away from competition until 2022 at the earliest. The lightweight division is terrifyingly well-stacked at the moment, and the entire landscape of the division may well change before Conor returns.
Justin Gaethje, on the other hand, is set to fight UFC newcomer Michael Chandler at UFC 268 on November 6. Chandler lost his most recent fight to Charles Oliveira, and Gaethje will no doubt be looking to make a statement over the highly-ranked fighter. Theoretically, a win for Gaethje may well set up a shot at the title in future, depending on who wins the Oliveira vs Poirier bout tentatively scheduled for this December.
A Gaethje vs McGregor fight seems unlikely, it’s true, but stranger things – such as Conor McGregor wheelchair boxing a Conor McGregor impersonator – happen, particularly in mixed martial arts.
Do you want to see Gaethje vs McGregor in future? How would you see the fight going? Let us know in the comments.
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