MMA fighter Justin Gaethje responded to Conor McGregor‘s challenge following Gaethje’s UFC 291 knockout of Dustin Poirier with indifference, stating that his main focus is pursuing the UFC gold, while also alluding to not wanting to fight McGregor due to rumors of performance-enhancing drug use.
Justin Gaethje responded with a touch of sarcasm when asked about Conor McGregor’s reaction to his impressive UFC 291 knockout of Dustin Poirier. “I think he’s turned me down six times,” Gaethje remarked during the post-match press conference. He added, “And usually, you have to lose to fight him, so don’t know what’s going on.” Shortly after, Gaethje calmly asserted his position as the new “BMF” champion.
Among those who reacted first to Gaethje’s victory was the former two-division champion, McGregor, a frequent commentator on octagon events. However, this time, he issued a direct challenge to Gaethje, asserting, “I’ll slap you around.” McGregor also discarded the anticipated fight with Michael Chandler, which was expected to mark the culmination of their time as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 31. Chandler, the former Bellator champion, was none too pleased with how things turned out. He has persistently endeavored to lure McGregor back into the octagon after their reality show stint, viewing ‘The Notorious’ as a key target for a showdown since the start of his UFC journey.
A potential fight with McGregor is typically seen as a game-changing payday by most fighters. No arm-twisting is necessary to get an affirmative response from potential opponents. However, in the wake of his victory, Gaethje seemed indifferent to the opportunity. Asked about it, he simply responded, “I don’t know,” adding, “I don’t know. You know, I don’t really care. I don’t really care.” Although Gaethje had once longed for the McGregor match-up and had frequently asked for it, he now appeared more elusive, indicating his nonchalance about McGregor’s callout by saying, “Because I don’t care. Whatever. I fight MMA, I like to fight big fights, I like exciting things, so it sounds pretty exciting to me.”
Gaethje never held back his thoughts about McGregor in interviews. He consistently offered candid assessments of the Irish fighter’s character and recently, his concerns about alleged performance-enhancing drug use by UFC fighters, especially after noticing McGregor’s significantly bulked-up physique post his exit from the UFC’s drug-testing pool managed by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Despite never testing positive for PEDs in his career and promising to adhere to all USADA rules post his rehabilitation from a broken leg, McGregor is yet to enrol in the drug-testing pool. This has caused frustrations for Chandler, who was hoping for a showdown at UFC 296 and found his plans jeopardized due to McGregor not meeting the six-month window requirement for USADA enrollment. UFC President Dana White hasn’t denied the possibility of approving an exemption for this requirement, thereby putting the ball back in Gaethje’s court. However, for now, Gaethje seems more focused on pursuing the UFC championship. If the ex-champion Charles Oliveira can reclaim the title from current titleholder Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, a rematch may be on the cards. Speaking on his choice of opponents, Gaethje said, “I’d prefer Charles, because he beat me. I’m a competitor…they’re the best in the world, and I want to fight the best in the world.”