UFC president Dana White is negotiating Conor McGregor vs. Cowboy Cerrone on 1/8; if McGregor wins, he likely gets a title shot vs. the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson. Justin Gaethje, who is on a three-fight win streak all by Round 1 KO, should be next in line for the next title shot or a #1 contender fight vs. McGregor, and in a recent interview with TMZ Sports, ‘The Highlight’ was not impressed.
It’s bulls***, said Gaethje, as transcribed by Jed Meshew for MMA Fighting. I don’t know what’s going on. I’m over here playing in the snow, snowboarding when I can, golfing when I can, trying to keep my mind distracted because I get very frustrated when I think about what’s going on. The fact that if he’s fighting anybody, it should be me, if he wants to fight for a world title. If he doesn’t then he can fight whoever he wants, I’m cool with that. That’s perfectly fine. I have no complaints about that, but if you want to fight for a world title, I put myself in line and you’re trying to be in line so what is happening right now?
I truly believe that he is scared to fight the fight that he has to fight against me. I think he’s looking for a sure win. At the end of the day, there’s only two ways out with me. You either knock me out – I wouldn’t finish him like Khabib did, I wouldn’t take his neck, I’d make him stand up and then I’d make him take it like a man. That’s one thing I know deep down he’s terrified of and that’s one thing I bring to the table.
I think he knows that he needs a win but at the end of the day this is gonna be another Ronda Rousey story. He dug himself too deep of a hole and there’s no way he can come out of it. He’s gonna get knocked out and he’s gonna go away.
I want to fight Khabib. I’ve got to fight Khabib before he goes away. So the fact that Khabib and Tony isn’t even signed yet, I would rather not even sign a fight with Conor because that would take me out of the equation if something happened with Tony. That’s my number one goal, is to fight Khabib, so however I can make that happen.
Right now, talk s*** to Conor and hopefully pull him out – I don’t got to pull him out, the man said he’s gonna fight. He’s an absolute b**** if he does not fight me. He’s gonna lose a ton of respect from all his fans. I mean, how big of a b**** can you be? Especially when you call yourself the king – the Burger King – and then not fight me solely for the purpose that you have to get a win so you won’t face me.
He’s a b**** but I’m hoping he’s only like a b**** in a way that he doesn’t want them to tell me that I’m fighting him January 18th so that maybe he’ll get a head start in training, not as big a b**** as just he’s not fighting me. So I don’t know. I’m training like I always do, staying ready.
