Everybody wants the ‘red panty night’. A hefty fight payout, perhaps ten times larger than a typical one, is guaranteed when fighting Conor McGregor. However, McGregor makes most of the decisions about who gets a chance to fight. Unfortunately, Justin Gaethje was never given any thought by the ‘Notorious.’
Gaethje has been one of the top UFC lightweights for some time now and has fought the biggest names. However, he never received the opportunity to get into the conversation to fight McGregor. According to Gaethje’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, McGregor had a particular reason for not fighting the ‘Highlight’.
We offered Gaethje so many times. Conor never accepted. Even the UFC told me, ‘Don’t talk bad about him online. He only likes to fight people who don’t talk back.’ Conor needs to start the trash talk and have fighters respond. It’s how he operates.
Ali Abdelaziz via Submission Radio
Irrespective of his inactivity, McGregor always made headlines due to his internet beef with top fighters. Other than the obvious Michael Chandler, McGregor has talked about fighting Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, etc., but never Gaethje. McGregor has mocked Gaethje on several occasions via online jibes but rarely mentioned fighting him.
Manager: Conor McGregor turned down Justin Gaethje fight ‘at least 5 times’
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) October 7, 2024
When Gaethje had the BMF title, there was an opportunity, but that ship sailed after UFC 300. Currently, Gaethje isn’t scheduled to fightanybody,y and the same goes for McGregor. With Chandler opting for another fight, McGregor is running out of top fighters for his comeback. While McGregor vs. Gaethje looks promising, it’s highly unlikely to take place.
Justin Gaethje rips Conor McGregor for taking steroids
In the previous three years, Conor McGregor has done everything except fighting. McGregor was very active in other areas, expanding his business empire and making his Hollywood debut. At this point, the delay has grown so long that fans are beginning to lose hope and interest in McGregor’s return.
For his Hollywood debut movie, ‘Road House’, McGregor gained a lot of body mass, which raised questions about him using PEDs. McGregor looked bigger than ever, and the entire MMA community had the same doubt, including Justin Gaethje. When asked about it, the fighter revealed that he wouldn’t fight with a cheater like McGregor.
He’s turned me down six times. Usually, you have to lose to fight him. I like big fights, sounds very exciting to me. I’m not gonna fight someone on steroids. I have never taken steroids or never will.
Justin Gaethje via UFC 291 post-fight presser
McGregor, however, has denied all such accusations and has claimed to be the most tested athlete in recent times. McGregor is currently unhappy with UFC’s matchmaking process and is busy searching for other ways to make his return. However, given his core fan base, MMA would be the best choice whatsoever.
