UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje still welcomes a fight with Conor McGregor.
Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) has been hurling insults towards McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) for years, but a fight never materialized. Despite McGregor's injury layoff, Gaethje remained open to the fight, but McGregor returned from five years away in a welterweight bout against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in July.
He blew out his knee in the opening seconds of the fight in a TKO loss, and is expected to be sidelined for a year. Gaethje on the other hand, upset Ilia Topuria to claim the lightweight ******* le at UFC Freedom 250. Despite their opposing career trajectories, Gaethje would still take that fight.
"If it came to my table, I would entertain it, but I would doubt that," Gaethje told Sports Illustrated (h/t Freak MMA) of McGregor. "He's going through his own stuff. I don't even want to sh*t on that guy anymore. I've done it, and that doesn't work because I've tried."
Gaethje announced after his ******* le win that he won't compete again in 2026. But even if he changed his mind, he reveals he probably couldn't.

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