Newly crowned interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has expressed his opinion on Connor McGregor’s recent posts calling for a bout between the two. Taking to twitter Gaethje said the following. “Isn’t it ironic that this dude is on his knees. Careful @TheNotoriousMMA you are losing your clout. @DustinPoirier is sitting there ready to go like […]
Newly crowned interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has expressed his opinion on Connor McGregor’s recent posts calling for a bout between the two.
“Isn’t it ironic that this dude is on his knees. Careful @TheNotoriousMMA you are losing your clout. @DustinPoirier is sitting there ready to go like I was for the last 3 years. #gaethjevskhabib”
This comes following a series of tweets by McGregor regarding fighters in the lightweight division and expressing his confidence he and Gaethje will face each other next.
The fans make the sport! Watching the other night I was against going in without them. But it will be my fucking pleasure to display the power I possess with zero background noise for them. Its me and Justin next as khabib is the biggest bottle fighter in the game. Guarantee it.
“The fans make the sport! Watching the other night I was against going in without them. But it will be my fucking pleasure to display the power I possess with zero background noise for them. It’s me and Justin next as Khabib is the biggest bottle fighter in the game. Guarantee it.”
In the video shared by Gaethje, he shares all the times he called for a fight with McGregor over the last three years however none of these materialized into a match between the two.
After McGregor’s return in January, it was widely rumored the pair were to face off in July. However, Gaethje was offered a short notice interim title fight against Tony Ferguson due to the champion Khabib Nurmagomedov being unable to enter the US.
Ferguson and Gaethje were set to compete against each other on April 18th however due to coronavirus restrictions the bout was moved to May 9th where the two fought and Gaethje walked away from it the new Interim champion.
UFC president Dana White has shared that the plan for Gaethje is to face off against Khabib Nurmagomedov to unify the belts in September so it looks like McGregor isn’t going to get the fight he is after.
Gall dispatched of Sage Northcutt last night in UFC Sacramento and confirmed his plan to hold McGregor’s belt within two years
UFC on Fox 22 in Sacramento saw the 24 year old prospect submit ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt to earn him a 3-0 record in the promotion.
While it may be too early to suggest a hype train is ready to gather pace, Gall’s latest victory against Northcutt (8-2) is a positive step towards more recognition and bigger fights. His latest opponent had won three of his four UFC fights, and is a well known name in MMA, due to his impressive striking and flair for showmanship.
Mickey Gall has high hopes
It took the New Jersey man less than two rounds to dispatch the younger Texan: Gall looked comfortable in a lopsided first round, and ended the contest in the second via rear-naked choke. The man who defeated C.M Punk at UFC 203 was positive in his post-fight interview, telling Brian Stann (and the MMA world) the name he wants next:
“I’m gonna drop down to 155 – I’m a little young in the tooth for 170. I think I’ll go down there, I’ll be the champion in a couple of years”.
When asked who is next, the Gracie New Jersey fighter said:
“I’d like to welcome back Dan Hardy – he’s coming back, and said he wants a marquee fight. Name a marquee fight right now? I’d be honoured to fight him, he’s a legend. I’d love to fight him”
Due to a heart condition, Hardy (34) has not fought since a 2012 decision victory over Amir Sadollah in Nottingham, England. It remains to be seen if he will step back into the octagon in 2017, so Gall may need to focus his attentions elsewhere for now. “The Outlaw” did have a response to the call out via twitter:
Gall states that calling out Hardy was a “Hail Mary” which would assist in his ambition for bigger fights. McGregor’s name was also used as an example of how a fighter can find success when dropping down a weight class.
“I want to take out guys who have bigger names than me, who have more star power. Big names make nice trophies and I want some nice trophies, you know” said Gall.
“I plan on going down to 155. Making 170 is pretty easy; 155 will be pretty tough, but I think I’ll be the champion there. I like the way Conor went down [to featherweight] and suffered and made himself a champion, made himself a star. I think I can do the same thing”
“I’m tossing out the hail Mary. I’d love to see him [Hardy] come back. I’d love to see him fight me”
A future bout with Hardy would certainly garner further exposure for the young fighter, who is looking forward to a bright future in the UFC. If he will have what it takes to displace McGregor and the rest of a stacked 155 pound division, however, will take more time to determine.
Gall dispatched of Sage Northcutt last night in UFC Sacramento and confirmed his plan to hold McGregor’s belt within two years
UFC on Fox 22 in Sacramento saw the 24 year old prospect submit ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt to earn him a 3-0 record in the promotion.
While it may be too early to suggest a hype train is ready to gather pace, Gall’s latest victory against Northcutt (8-2) is a positive step towards more recognition and bigger fights. His latest opponent had won three of his four UFC fights, and is a well known name in MMA, due to his impressive striking and flair for showmanship.
Mickey Gall has high hopes
It took the New Jersey man less than two rounds to dispatch the younger Texan: Gall looked comfortable in a lopsided first round, and ended the contest in the second via rear-naked choke. The man who defeated C.M Punk at UFC 203 was positive in his post-fight interview, telling Brian Stann (and the MMA world) the name he wants next:
“I’m gonna drop down to 155 – I’m a little young in the tooth for 170. I think I’ll go down there, I’ll be the champion in a couple of years”.
When asked who is next, the Gracie New Jersey fighter said:
“I’d like to welcome back Dan Hardy – he’s coming back, and said he wants a marquee fight. Name a marquee fight right now? I’d be honoured to fight him, he’s a legend. I’d love to fight him”
Due to a heart condition, Hardy (34) has not fought since a 2012 decision victory over Amir Sadollah in Nottingham, England. It remains to be seen if he will step back into the octagon in 2017, so Gall may need to focus his attentions elsewhere for now. “The Outlaw” did have a response to the call out via twitter:
Was he old enough to watch the @UFC when I was still fighting? ?
Gall states that calling out Hardy was a “Hail Mary” which would assist in his ambition for bigger fights. McGregor’s name was also used as an example of how a fighter can find success when dropping down a weight class.
“I want to take out guys who have bigger names than me, who have more star power. Big names make nice trophies and I want some nice trophies, you know” said Gall.
“I plan on going down to 155. Making 170 is pretty easy; 155 will be pretty tough, but I think I’ll be the champion there. I like the way Conor went down [to featherweight] and suffered and made himself a champion, made himself a star. I think I can do the same thing”
“I’m tossing out the hail Mary. I’d love to see him [Hardy] come back. I’d love to see him fight me”
A future bout with Hardy would certainly garner further exposure for the young fighter, who is looking forward to a bright future in the UFC. If he will have what it takes to displace McGregor and the rest of a stacked 155 pound division, however, will take more time to determine.
Of all the story lines to emerge from the aftermath of UFC 196, the unlikeliest is perhaps an immediate rematch between Connor McGregor and Nate Diaz. Here are four reasons against a rematch.
1. McGregor must defend his 145 pound belt
It’s fine f…
Of all the story lines to emerge from the aftermath of UFC 196, the unlikeliest is perhaps an immediate rematch between Connor McGregor and Nate Diaz. Here are four reasons against a rematch.
1. McGregor must defend his 145 pound belt
It’s fine for McGregor to have other aspirations outside the Bantamweight division, even other belts and titles. However, the last Bantamweight title bout was in December 2015, which was of course McGregor’s own stunning and devastating 13 second KO of defending champ Jose Aldo. If McGregor fights at UFC 200 slated for July, it’s probable that he won’t be available for a title fight until December again. 12 months between title fights is far too long for a division unless a serious lack of talent exists. But clear options are in play for McGregor to chose from. He cannot hold the division hostage, especially when he has yet to even successfully defend his title, which is a vital aspect to being a true champion.
2. A rematch does not advance either fighter’s career
While this fight was amazing the first time around, especially for Diaz who gained some much needed attention for his fighting skills, a rematch would not improve either fighters career in terms of future title chances. McGregor skipped over the whole lightweight division to originally fight Dos Anjos before Diaz stepped in when the former broke his foot in training. So if McGregor defeats Diaz at 155 pounds, is the Irishman now settled on working through top contenders to get to Dos Anjos and fight for the title? Or does he just skip straight to another title fight with Dos Anjos? And since he’ll need to defend his 145 title, he would be juggling fights between weight classes to pursue both goals.
If Diaz wins, the situation isn’t much clearer. His excellent victory against an emerging contender Michael Johnson at UFC Fight Night in December 2015 showcased an improved and much more dangerous Diaz, putting him back into contention for a potential title shot. Defeating an opponent that is fighting out of normal weight class (even twice) won’t edge him closer to a title shot than he already is now. McGregor hasn’t fought a single lightweight before (a Diaz rematch at lightweight would be his first), so a win for Diaz might just prove that McGregor should stick to 145, not that Diaz deserves a title chance.
3. Diaz with a full camp makes a rematch a puzzling decision at best
Diaz stepped into the Octagon and defeated a much hyped opponent on ten days notice. Ten days. The fact that Diaz was training for a triathlon makes for a good soundbyte to justify allowing the fight, but that level of training doesn’t compensate in the slightest for a full fight camp. Ten days full of the circus of pressers and pre-fight conferences. Ten days of helter-skelter training at best. And yet Diaz walked in, took McGregor’s best punch(es), and landed a punishing left that eventually drove McGregor to go for a takedown, before performing a jiu-jitsu masterclass and sinking into a tight rear naked choke that saw McGregor quickly tap. All on ten days.
Imagine Diaz with a full camp. McGregor also gained much needed experience and would fight any opponent much smarter now than he did with Diaz the first time. But Diaz with a full camp is a frightening prospect. He probably wouldn’t be “flawless” like he predicted he would be with a full camp, but he wouldn’t be far from it.
4. Frankie Edgar deserves a title shot
The Answer has rightly been calling for a chance at the title for some time, and Dana White and the UFC simply must give him an opportunity. Now is the time for that title fight. Edgar has won the necessary fights to prove himself worthy. Edgar’s wrestling ability makes him a dangerous opponent for McGregor, similar to Chad Mendes. But unlike Mendes, Edgar would have a full camp. McGregor vs. Edgar is an easy headlining event at UFC 200.
(@Justin_Gaethje) May 15, 2020
(@Justin_Gaethje) 
