Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje suggests Conor McGregor ducked him in January.
Former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor and UFC President Dana White are currently not seeing eye-to-eye. Last week McGregor, seemingly frustrated by what opportunities he was presented within the Octagon this year, decided to leak screenshots of what he claimed were private messages between him and White.
Those messages detailed vague negotiations over who McGregor could have fought in the first half of 2020. Those messages reveal that McGregor was not happy with the suggestion that he be a ready-to-go replacement fighter for the bout between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov that was scheduled, and ultimately canceled, earlier this year.
In those screenshots McGregor is also shown campaigning for a fight with Diego Sanchez as part of what he had hoped to be his ‘busy season’.
At his post-fight press conference at UFC 253 White told reporters that he was not happy with McGregor sharing their private conversations. White went as far as to say that McGregor had violated a “man code” and that he had done one of the “dirtiest things” White could imagine.
McGregor soon shot back at White, accusing his boss of breaking “the code” first by suggesting McGregor was turning down fights.
Now Justin Gaethje wants in on the action. He responded to McGregor’s message with a claim of his own, writing: “[Conor McGregor] Not a good look lying on the boss. Anything to not look like a bitch. You had me in January I was calling on you left and right and not a peep. My manager asked if I wanted you after Tony [Ferguson] but you know, fuck you. You never wanted it, you took the easy road kid.”
@TheNotoriousMMA Not a good look lying on the boss. Anything to not look like a bitch. You had me in January I was calling on you left and right and not a peep. My manager asked if I wanted you after Tony but you know, fuck you. You never wanted it, you took the easy road kid. https://t.co/O1xAhMwdju
— Justin Gaethje (@Justin_Gaethje) September 28, 2020
Gaethje benefited the most when Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov was called off for the umpteenth time (this time because of the COVID-19 pandemic). The American stepped in for Nurmagomedov and beat Ferguson at UFC 249 in May, earning the interim lightweight title. He is now scheduled to face Nurmagomedov in a title unification bout at UFC 254 next month.
McGregor beat Donald Cerrone in January. Since then he has announced his retirement from the sport (again), been accused of sexual assault and claimed to be boxing Manny Pacquiao next year.