Justin Gaethje discards interim lightweight title during UFC 254 photoshoot with Khabib

Justin Gaethje doesn't seem to want to hang around with the interim lightweight belt for long as he has set his eyes on Khabib Nurmagomedov's UFC lightweight championship. During Wednesday's UFC 254 photoshoot, Gaethje discarded his interim title because it seemingly meant nothing for The Highlight ahead of arguably the biggest fight in his MMA career. 

As both men stood in front of the cameras, Justin Gaethje was captured handing his title to the crew as he did not want to be pictured with the title besides "the champ" Khabib. "I don't want this thing. I'm good. I don't want that one," said Gaethje while handing his interim belt to the nearby crew. Pointing at Khabib's lightweight title he added, "I want that one."

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Despite their upcoming bout and rivalry, both fighters are known to have deep respect for each other. Gaethje previously admired Khabib, stating he only wants to fight the best and in the lightweight division there isn't anybody better than the undisputed Russian. The mutual respect was on full show during Wednesday's photoshoot. The two fighters seemed cordial and respectful, shaking hands and patting each other on the arm before posing for the routine face-off. 

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Khabib vs Gaethje UFC 254 preview

Justin Gaethje, 31, earned a shot at Khabi's title after he scored a dominant win over Tony Ferguson earlier this year at UFC 249; Gaethje beat Ferguson via Round 5 TKO. Even back then, Gaethje refused to be identified as the interim champ as he always had eyes on the top prize. 

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Gaethje is entering UFC 254 on the back of a four-fight win streak. He last lost a fight in 2018 to Dustin Poirier via TKO. Gaethje is 22-2 in his professional MMA career. Meanwhile, Khabib, 32, is bracing for his first fight in over a year. He is entering this showdown as the heavy favourite to emerge victorious. The Eagle's previous title defences came against Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor. Khabib currently holds a 28-0 record. 

UFC 254 will be hosted at the Flash Forum Arena at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Khabib vs Gaethje will serve as the main event of the night. The main card also features a match between former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier. The main card is scheduled to start at 11:30 pm IST on Saturday, October 24.

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(Image Credits: UFC Twitter)