Gaethje Says He'd Be Open To Fighting McGregor

Justin Gaethje says he'd be interested in a fight with Conor McGregor despite the two never having met, reasoning it as a way to settle a score after Ilia Topuria beat both Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, the fighters he'd previously wanted to rematch.

"I would've [rematched] Charles Oliveira or Max Holloway, but since Topuria beat them, I'm gonna go ahead and justify it to myself like I got them back. So I guess McGregor would be fun to shut him up," Gaethje

Gaethje remains without a first defense of the lightweight title he won over Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June, still recovering from a hand injury and not expected back until 2027. He said the decision on his future remains a family and team matter.

"I really rely on my team and my family to make these choices. When I retire, I have no idea. It has been one [fight] at a time since day one. I'm gonna continue to take it like that and trust in my team to have a conversation," Gaethje

A McGregor fight would give Gaethje a high-profile option for his return, though contenders like Arman Tsarukyan remain in the mix. McGregor, for his part, is recovering from the knee injury suffered against Holloway at UFC 329.