Justin Gaethje‘s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has dismissed Conor McGregor‘s interest in fighting Gaethje as attention-seeking and has questioned McGregor’s dedication as a fighter, noting he is yet to be drug tested in over a year, and has predicted that if a fight did occur, Gaethje would brutally defeat McGregor.
Justin Gaethje, after his knockout win over Dustin Poirier with a head kick, established himself as the prime contender in the lightweight division. However, this dynamic was complicated when Conor McGregor interjected himself into the conversation. The ex-double division UFC champion has been inactive for over two years in the aftermath of a broken leg injury experienced in his last match, yet he never misses an opportunity to promote his comeback, especially when a significant fight is on the horizon in his weight bracket. Following UFC 291, McGregor’s loud claims have led Gaethje’s longtime manager, Ali Abdelaziz, to perceive it more as a pursuit of the limelight rather than the pursuit of a fight.
Abdelaziz spoke candidly to the media, saying, “I believe Conor is full of s***. I believe he doesn’t want to fight Justin. He’s not even a fighter right now. He’s a retired fighter.” Abdelaziz continued to describe McGregor as a retired sportsman with plenty of money and disparaged his lifestyle stating that McGregor seems to have moved away from fighting and spends more time drinking and engaging in recreational drugs. Abdelaziz further criticized McGregor for wanting to engage in discourse regarding fighters and teases him for longing for his past glory, asserting that he can’t be compared with those still active in the industry because they put in hard work every day, train, and make sacrifices.
Perhaps the comment on McGregor being “retired” comes from the Irish superstar’s withdrawal from the UFC’s anti-doping program. This typically occurs only when fighters quit the organization or retire. Although McGregor has done neither, he hasn’t been subjected to any drug testing for over a year. McGregor would need to undergo drug testing as administered by the United States Anti-Doping Agency for a minimum of six months before he could compete again. Additionally, McGregor spent a season on The Ultimate Fighter coaching opposite Michael Chandler, which was slated to build up to a subsequent fight between them.
Abdelaziz remained skeptical of a potential matchup with Gaethje, as McGregor had lately been more vocal about it. He further predicted a scenario where the match would end with McGregor being taken to the hospital. Despite McGregor trying to rally his fans through social posts following two consecutive losses to Poirier, Abdelaziz dismissed these efforts, stating that he wouldn’t take anything seriously until there was an actual offer from the UFC. Hence, McGregor’s next fight could potentially be against Gaethje or Islam Makhachev, both of whom Abdelaziz manages. Amplifying his client Gaethje, Abdelaziz said, “I’m telling you, Justin Gaethje’s not going to just go there and knock him out with one punch. He’s going to brutalize him. You will never see Conor McGregor again.”