Justin Gaethje responds to Dana White

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When UFC president Dana White announced that with a win vs. Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 on 1/18, Conor McGregor would get a rematch vs. lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov (if The Eagle beats Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 on 4/18), the hardcore MMA fanbase had a few questions:

•What about Justin Gaethje?

•Why does the Conor vs. Cowboy fight at welterweight lead to lightweight title shot?

•Why McGregor, who has not won at lightweight since 2016?

In an interview with Brett Okamoto for ESPN, White promoter-answered the question, and also said:

And Gaethje was on his way up, too. We’ve offered Gaethje a lot of fights that Gaethje hasn’t taken either. So Conor is in line next for this fight if he beats Cowboy.

During a recent appearance on Sirius XM’s “MMA Tonight,” Gaethje was a little baffled.

“I’ve been trying to figure out what he’s been talking about,” said Gaethje, as transcribed by . “I know when he did that interview not too long ago, he kept saying ‘Justin Gaethje knows what I’m talking about, what’s going on; he knows what’s happening.’ I literally had no idea what he was talking about, so it’s pretty crazy.”

“I’m pretty sure it was, they offered me I think Tony Ferguson when Tony Ferguson fought ‘Cowboy’ [Cerrone] in June and they were looking for a replacement in that fight at the end of May. I told them that it wasn’t enough time, but if they pushed it back a little farther I would take that fight, then they turned [the offer] down. Then they asked if I want the Tony fight on the [9/7] Abu Dhabi card, and I said yes and he said no, so I took the ‘Cowboy’ fight the week after that.”

“Just recently, they offered me Charles Oliveira in Brazil or Dan Hooker in New Zealand, all while the champion didn’t have a fight, McGregor was coming back and still looking for a fight. As far as I know, that’s what the deal is.”

https://twitter.com/Justin_Gaethje?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

Gaethje doesn’t take it personally and believes that pressure from Endeavor is pushing the McGregor money fight.

“He has people above him, telling him to put the fight together, this is the fight that’s going to make the most money, I’m sure, just looking from the outside in,” said Gaethje. “So I’m guessing why he’s saying those things. I don’t think he’s actually trying to make me look bad. I’ve done everything that man could ever want from a fighter or an employee or someone that he pays money to watch. So I don’t think it’s necessarily anything personal against me, I think it’s people above him telling him they have to make that fight no matter what.”

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Gaethje's time will come, he's handled this situation with aplomb, which will help his case. No point attacking Dana, that never ends well.

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So BASICALLY UFC is up to their same old tactics. Trying to clear the division out for Conor by having the top fight each other, meanwhile Cowboy Cerrone is being treated like his Dennis Siver in the 155lb division. Except that now Conor doesn't even need to fight at the weight class to get a titleshot and skip everybody. Instead of having Conor fight either Charles Oliveira, Dan Hooker, or Tony Ferguson, they tried to force Justin Gaethje to give up his spot as up next for a shot. Now they said fuck it, we're just going to get you out the way forcibly and give Conor the shot anyway with a win over a guy on a 2 fight slide. The SAME MF JUSTIN GAETHJE JUST FINISHED! Made it look easy too! SHADY SHIT! Promotion is carrying this mf and doing everybody in the way dirty af! Damaging careers and legacies of other fighters who have earned their positions the hard way just to maintain this bullshit Conor fraud going. Why didn't they matchup Conor McGregor with one of the surging hot winning contenders they tried to offer Gaethje? UFC is so fucked up! Double standard and dirtbag games being played, just like they did at 145lb. They tried to clear a path for Conor by tying up everyone else at the top with each other, meanwhile Conor was fighting fucking Siver for a titleshot.. 

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Bet the house on Conor McGregor. Cowboy can't win, corporate has chosen they want the McGregor sweepstakes to happen by any means necessary! ANY MEANS NECESSARY

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Yup typical Dana White tactics, fuck over fighters then point the finger back at them so it's there fault so he can get what HE wants.

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Scummy stuff

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All this so Conor can strut back into the meat grinder for an unwinnable fight. 

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Hunt KFC - 

Yup typical Dana White tactics, fuck over fighters then point the finger back at them so it's there fault so he can get what HE wants.

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 Cesar Gracie 30 minutes ago--  " Nick will not be making the seminar in New Jersey"

How about some information before the events start you fuckin tool?

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So Dana is full of shit. Surprise surprise. 

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So did he turn down the Oliveria and hooker fights because he wanted a title shot or the Conor fight?, it's not really clear

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MattyJ -

So did he turn down the Oliveria and hooker fights because he wanted a title shot or the Conor fight?, it's not really clear

That's what it sounds like to me. Smart choice too if you ask me. He's closer to a title shot than both of those guys and if history tells us anything, there is gonna someone pulling out due to injury for Khabib/Tony and Justin will be ready to rock.

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KnockoutThoughts -

So BASICALLY UFC is up to their same old tactics. Trying to clear the division out for Conor by having the top fight each other, meanwhile Cowboy Cerrone is being treated like his Dennis Siver in the 155lb division. Except that now Conor doesn't even need to fight at the weight class to get a titleshot and skip everybody. Instead of having Conor fight either Charles Oliveira, Dan Hooker, or Tony Ferguson, they tried to force Justin Gaethje to give up his spot as up next for a shot. Now they said fuck it, we're just going to get you out the way forcibly and give Conor the shot anyway with a win over a guy on a 2 fight slide. The SAME MF JUSTIN GAETHJE JUST FINISHED! Made it look easy too! SHADY SHIT! Promotion is carrying this mf and doing everybody in the way dirty af! Damaging careers and legacies of other fighters who have earned their positions the hard way just to maintain this bullshit Conor fraud going. Why didn't they matchup Conor McGregor with one of the surging hot winning contenders they tried to offer Gaethje? UFC is so fucked up! Double standard and dirtbag games being played, just like they did at 145lb. They tried to clear a path for Conor by tying up everyone else at the top with each other, meanwhile Conor was fighting fucking Siver for a titleshot.. 

 

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He's apparently smart enough not to get into it with Dana. Something many fighters are not.

 

Dont see why Dana has to disparage one fighter to setup another here though.  Just use the old 'it's the fight the fans want to see' line. That's it really.

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Does anyone really even want to see mcgregor vs khabib 2?

Does anyone actually expect a different outcome?

Guess it won't really matter cause tony will beat a bloody khabib.

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who's the ref in Coboy vs Conor?

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Morpheus1976 -

who's the ref in Coboy vs Conor?

Mills Lane 

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FingerorMoon -

He's apparently smart enough not to get into it with Dana. Something many fighters are not.

 

Dont see why Dana has to disparage one fighter to setup another here though.  Just use the old 'it's the fight the fans want to see' line. That's it really.

"Don't see why Dana"...

 

Spend long enough time being a scumbag and it becomes second nature.  He's probably not even doing it consciously.

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KnockoutThoughts -

Bet the house on Conor McGregor. Cowboy can't win, corporate has chosen they want the McGregor sweepstakes to happen by any means necessary! ANY MEANS NECESSARY

Don't agree with this... it's just the most winnable fight for Conor, doesn't mean it's easy..  if Cowboy drags him late then Conor is going to look like a fish out of water..