Justin Gaethje reveals reason behind declining Conor McGregor fight and going after Khabib

After Justin Gaethje defeated Tony Ferguson to become the interim lightweight champion at UFC 249, he was called out by former UFC champion Conor McGregor for a bout. Even though he wanted to fight the Notorious One, he eventually declined to go after Conor McGregor. While speaking to Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Justin Gaethje said that he was focused on the current undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at that point and wanted to fight him first in a unification bout.

Justin Gaethje then claimed that if defeats Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254, he would call out Conor McGregor and challenge him to a title fight. Justin Gaethje said a title defence against Conor McGregor would be lucrative for him and by defeating the two UFC greats, he would cement his legacy. “I truly think, if I can beat Khabib and Conor McGregor [after that], I will have cemented something that is almost unmatched,” added Justin Gaethje.

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In the latter part of the interview, Justin Gaethje said that regardless of what happens between him and Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254, he will send a part of his paycheck to his mother, so that she could retire from the United States Postal Service. The UFC 254 is scheduled to take place on October 24 at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and would also include fights like Islam Makhachev vs Rafael dos Anjos, Umar Nurmagomedov vs Sergey Morozov and others.    

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Justin Gaethje wants to see Khabib Nurmagomedov bleed

In another interview with ESPN, Justin Gaethje vowed that he will make Khabib Nurmagomedov bleed when they trade hands in the octagon. Justin Gaethje, who’s known for his violent fighting style, stated that he wants to see the undefeated champion bleed as Nurmagomedov “hasn’t seen his blood many times”. Justin Gaethje then added that Khabib Nurmagomedov loves competition, but he’s not as “crazy” as him.

“He hasn’t seen his blood many times, I’m sure. His style of fighting is not something where you are looking for blood. I bet that doesn’t even cross his mind that he will see his own blood. That has never been a factor for him.” said Justin Gaethje.

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