Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images
Justin Gaethje upset the lightweight apple cart with his UFC 249 victory over longtime contender Tony Ferguson, scoring a technical knockout finish in the fifth and final round last Sat. night (May 9) inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
The win was good enough to propel him into a 155-pound title fight against reigning division kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov, unless “The Highlight” opts for a big-money showdown opposite top-MMA draw (and former UFC champion) Conor McGregor.
Either way, Gaethje opens as the odds-on underdog.
Justin Gaethje vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Justin Gaethje: +200 (2/1)
Khabib Nurmagomedov: -250 (2/5)
Justin Gaethje vs. Conor McGregor
Justin Gaethje: +150 (3/2)
Conor McGregor: -175 (4/7)
Odds courtesy of of BetOnline (www.BetOnline.ag).
Nurmagomedov and McGregor already went to war in the UFC 229 headliner back in late 2018, with “The Eagle” taking home the victory by submission. There’s been talk of a “Notorious” rematch for no other reason than it will probably sell a lot of PPVs.
The more likely scenario is that Gaethje collides with Nurmagomedov in July in an attempt to unify the lightweight titles. “The Highlight” captured the interim strap with his “El Cucuy” upset last weekend in “The Sunshine State.”