Getty Conor McGregor poses during a ceremonial weigh-in for UFC 229.
In an interview with TMZ, Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, added fuel to the fire of his fighter competing against UFC superstar Conor “Notorious” McGregor.
Abdelaziz was asked if McGregor was going to fight UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nuragomedov next, and he responded, “You can’t get a title fight [after] beating a guy that’s 36 years old coming off a loss. If [McGregor] wants to fight [in] a title shot, like Khabib said, he needs to start fighting guys like [Justin] Gaethje or guys like Islam Makhachev; these type of young guys coming up and who [are] coming off wins. [McGregor] just knocked out the guy [Gaethje] just knocked out. You’re not going to get a title fight.”
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Gaethje’s Manager Has a Message for Conor McGregor if He Wants a UFC Title Shot
Gaethje’s manager admits that Notorious’ 40-second destruction of Donald Cerrone was a “good performance,” and that “he treated Cerrone like the way he should have treated him.” But he doesn’t believe that’s enough for McGregor to earn a shot at Nurmagomedov should the champ get past Tony Ferguson at UFC 249.
Abdelaziz had some advice for McGregor. He said, “I say, hey b*tch, go fight Justin Gaethje, get a win and after that come back for the title shot, that’s it.”
Conor McGregor vs. Justin Gaethje Could Be a Legit Title-Eliminator Fight
Currently, the Notorious is ranked at #3 of the UFC’s lightweight division, and The Highlight is at #4. Both men are coming off first-round finishes of Cerrone.
McGregor currently holds an MMA record of 22-4 and a UFC record of 10-2, whereas Gaethje’s MMA record is 21-2 and his UFC record is 4-2.
The prospect of a match between these two deadly strikers is appealing to many fans and analysts. Gaethje also has world-class wrestling, which adds another layer of intrigue.
From a rankings standpoint, a bout between these two men makes a lot of sense. The only two men ranked above them, besides the champ Nurmagomedov, are #1 Tony Ferguson and #2 Dustin Poirier. As mentioned above, Ferguson is fighting Nurmagomedov for the title at UFC 249 on April 18.
Poirier is coming off a loss to Nurmagomedov and has been linked to #5 ranked Dan Hooker.
A fight between Notorious and The Highlight would most likely be a top-contender match, with the winner fighting the man who gets his hand raised at UFC 249.
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