Gaethje Threatens Retirement: Will McGregor's Title Shot be the Final Straw?

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Justin Gaethje opened up about his concerns over Conor McGregor's potential return to the lightweight division and how it could impact his own career. Gaethje, also known as "The Highlight," revealed that he may retire from mixed martial arts (MMA) if McGregor is granted a title shot by beating Michael Chandler.

McGregor, who has been sidelined due to injury since UFC 264 in July 2021, has repeatedly expressed his desire to fight whoever is holding the welterweight title. However, Gaethje fears that the Irishman may set his sights on recapturing the lightweight title that he won in 2016 by defeating Eddie Alvarez.

Gaethje believes that McGregor could get the opportunity to face 155lb champion Islam Makhachev before him, and if that were to happen, he would "probably" quit fighting due to his hurt feelings towards the actions of the company he represents. Gaethje stated, "That's how hurt I would be by the actions of the company I represent. But that's out of my control. I just really hope that doesn't happen."

Although interviewer Brett Okamoto told Gaethje that it's unlikely McGregor will return to the lightweight division, Gaethje remains unconvinced and sees him as a threat to his title chances. He stated that "there's a possibility that that's the scenario, which I would be devastated, for sure."

Gaethje, who recently defeated Rafael Fiziev, is now looking to secure a rematch with Dustin Poirier, who knocked him out in April 2018. Gaethje believes that a fight against Poirier is the obvious choice and could lead to big title discussions. He expressed that both he and Poirier are much different and more mature fighters now, and he thinks they are two of the best in the world.

Speaking about his own development as a fighter, Gaethje said, "I'm a much different, more mature fighter as is he [Poirier], but I think we're two of the best in the world. Neither one of us have a fight lined up, so no-brainer. It leads to big title discussions. I gave the new guys a chance, they proved that they can't crack it yet with the experienced [guys]. At the end of the day, it comes down to being able to fight a smart fight and not get tired."

Overall, Gaethje's concerns over McGregor's potential title shot and his desire to secure a rematch with Poirier suggest that there are exciting times ahead for the lightweight division in the world of MMA.