Conor McGregor has repeatedly declined a fight with Justin Gaethje, according to Gaethje’s manager Ali Abdelaziz, who claims McGregor avoids opponents who criticize him on social media and that his reluctance stems from past conflicts, including his defeat by Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Conor McGregor vs. Justin Gaethje? It was a tantalizing possibility, at least according to Gaethje’s manager. Ali Abdelaziz recently shared insights on Submission Radio. He touched on the potential McGregor-Gaethje clash that might remain just a dream.
Abdelaziz insists it’s McGregor who’s dodging the fight. “Let’s be real, Conor McGregor will never, will never, will never… he got offered this fight at least five times,” Abdelaziz stated (thanks to Denis Shkuratov for the transcription). The reason? Gaethje’s past social media jabs, apparently.
Gaethje echoed a similar tale to TMZ Sports but with a twist. He claimed the offer came not five but six times. According to him, McGregor fears losing in a way that would tarnish his legacy. “How you lose to me is not how you can lose and continue to be Conor McGregor,” Gaethje quipped.
Abdelaziz further alleges an unwritten rule: don’t feud with McGregor online if you want a shot at him in the octagon. “The last five, six years we offered Justin Gaethje so many times,” Abdelaziz emphasized. Fighters supposedly get warned—stay quiet if you want that fight.
Michael Chandler’s approach towards McGregor is cited as an example. “Why do you think [Michael] Chandler being so nice to him?” Abdelaziz questioned. He paints McGregor as someone who needs to initiate trash talk, calling him a "weak mental midget."
The rivalry traces back to McGregor’s infamous feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Their UFC 229 bout ended with Khabib’s victory and an ensuing brawl outside the cage. Fines and suspensions followed for both camps.
Despite the chaos, Abdelaziz sees Khabib’s win as transformative for McGregor. “It’s been six years since Conor lost his soul to Khabib,” he remarked. He believes Khabib took everything from McGregor, leaving him forever altered.
Khabib once promised to change McGregor’s face and mind—and perhaps he did. The UFC felt the financial sting of their clash, yet that’s the nature of the game. Facing the best sometimes means getting "whooped," as Abdelaziz bluntly put it.