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 title 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 title win that he won't compete again in 2026. But even if he changed his mind, he reveals he probably couldn't.
"I can't punch anything right now. Both of my hands are still hurt from my fight," Gaethje said. "I still have a really deep bruise in my knee. I dealt with it through both of these last two fights and never healed. So I'm just going to enjoy being the champion for the rest of the year because I fought two times already in the first six months."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Justin Gaethje would entertain Conor McGregor fight but doubts it happens
