' I want that opportunity to take him away from this sport forever ' - Gaethje on Conor

Gaethje challenges lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in Saturday’s UFC 274 main event, which takes place at Footprint Center in Phoenix. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

If Gaethje (23-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) gets past Oliveira and becomes champion, he acknowledges that the McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) fight is a possibility, and his sentiments toward him haven’t changed.

“At the end of the day, after I win this fight there’s two people that are next in line,” Gaethje said on the “FULL SEND PODCAST.” “There’s Beneil Dariush and (Islam) Makhachev and they need to fight each other. If Conor McGregor’s there, then I think he’s just as rightfully available as those two because they need to fight. So I say either everybody deserves it, or nobody deserves it right now. Someone needs to stand out and yeah, whoever. I want that opportunity to take him away from this sport forever.”
Former UFC dual champion McGregor’s star power could mean he enters the title picture immediately upon his return from injury, despite going 1-3 in his past four fights and back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier. But Gaethje knows if he can capture gold on Saturday, he won’t be short of options.

“The best part: When you’re the champion, the target’s on your back,” Gaethje said. “I’m not going to be looking back. At the end of the day, I will be the champ and whoever’s next will be next. I just gotta keep preparing myself, keep eating correctly, keep isolating myself, take away all distractions, and then I’ll be done one of these days.”

Simmer down sparky

2 Likes

Yeah, now he feels that way. Before he would bitch and cry about Conor getting the opportunity to fight for the belt when he didn’t have it, but if he has the belt, then Conor can get it because he wants that payday. Fuck’em!

4 Likes

I like Justin’s fighting style but his interviews are becoming cccte .

1 Like

new found spirit

1 Like

After khabib fight, gaythje lost me as a fan, would be rooting for conor

3 Likes

Conner has better striking and submissions, Gaethjes ground game is so bad and he doesn’t even train it like it’s 1993 again, all the top guys have to do is get it to the ground vs him