Justin Gaethje has made it clear who he’d like to fight next.
The undisputed lightweight champ says a showdown with Conor McGregor is on his radar and he will be cageside at the UFC icon’s return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 12.
UFC 329: McGregor v Holloway 2 | SUN 12 JULY 11AM AEST | Conor McGregor is back. The Irish superstar takes on the always dangerous Max Holloway in a rematch 13 years in the making | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Gaethje, the most violent man in the sport, has history with both men. He was originally scheduled to fight McGregor in 2019 before an injury forced the bout to be scrapped.
He also shares one of the most memorable fights in recent UFC history with Holloway, suffering a dramatic last-second knockout in their BMF title clash.
A win for either man would place them directly in Gaethje’s sights.
“I’m very interested to see what happens in that fight,” Gaethje told Jim Rome.
“Max definitely knocked me out, but I feel like I got that win back with the Ilia Topuria fight…
“As I’ve stated hundreds of times publicly I would love to punch Conor McGregor in the face.
“So I’m excited about that fight, I’m excited to be there and watch it…
“There’s no doubt he’s one of the biggest superstars in the sport so fighting a guy like that would do great things for me financially and for my legendary status.”
Gaethje’s stunning victory at UFC Freedom 250 over Ilia Topuria has been hailed as one of the greatest MMA fights of all-time, but McGregor isn’t overly impressed by “The Highlight”.
“Max has flatlined Justin,” McGregor told Paramount.
“He knocked him out. Face down. Out cold.
“Justin’s OK. When he’s on, Justin’s OK. When he’s bad, he’s atrocious. He’s woeful. He slaps his punches a lot. But he’s very, very durable and he’s unorthodox in his style.”
Should McGregor get past Holloway in his comeback fight, a showdown with Gaethje would be immense.
However, McGregor might be more interested in continuing his career at welterweight.
“For sure [I can make a run at the title],” McGregor said.
“I’m a 170-pound fighter now. I already held the 155-pound unified UFC world title. I’m open for business. I wish for activity. I’ve got a great fight in front of me.”
UFC analyst Michael Chiesa believes that a McGregor-Gaethje showdown is the biggest fight the promotion could make.
“Let’s say Conor McGregor beats Max Holloway, what better fight is there to do right now from a viewing standpoint?” Chiesa told MMA Junkie.
“If Conor beats Max Holloway – does it get much bigger than that right now? That is the matchup to make in terms of bringing in eyes. It’s the only thing that can compete with the White House, is Gaethje and Conor.
“I see the business side of things, and I see the fighter side of things. The fighter side of me says Arman (should fight Gaethje), but the business side of me says if Conor can get past Max Holloway, that’s the fight.
“There’s not a bigger fight you could hypothetically make right now that would draw more eyes than a Justin Gaethje vs. Conor McGregor fight. That would be incredible.”
Exactly what “Mystic Mac” will do after his fight with Holloway is unclear, but the former two division champ insists activity is now his priority.
“There’s a few names [I’d like to fight] for sure,” McGregor explained.
“I wish to just compete. I want the smoke. I want all the smoke. For sure. Bring it all on. I don’t rate them. Not on my level.
“Rather than saying it and getting into more detail on it, I would rather just show. That I will do.”
Meanwhile, two weeks out from his fight with Holloway, the “Notorious” has been spotted shirtless at Laguna Beach in California
McGregor, who did some training on the sand and stopped and posed for photos with fans, appeared to be in excellent shape.
However, more than a few fight fans questioned if he was too big this close to fight night.
Wild fight stuns after controversial end | 02:48
“Two weeks to the fight, and Conor looks like he’s been training for an all-you-can-eat buffet instead of Max Holloway,” one fan posted.
“Decent chance he fails to make weight for the first time ever,” wrote another.