Fresh off Justin Gaethje’s championship-winning performance at UFC White House, speculation has already shifted toward who could challenge the newly crowned lightweight king next. One name that immediately caught Israel Adesanya’s attention was Conor McGregor.
Speaking on the MightyCast, the former UFC middleweight champion shared his thoughts on the lightweight title picture and believes a showdown between McGregor and Gaethje could become one of the biggest fights the sport has ever seen.
Adesanya Sees Massive Business in McGregor vs. Gaethje
Gaethje elevated his profile even further after defeating previously unbeaten Ilia Topuria to capture the undisputed lightweight title. With a potential retirement still uncertain, fans are already debating who should stand across from him if he chooses to defend the belt.
For Adesanya, the answer is simple.
“I think Gaethje sitting frontside at the Max vs. Conor in Vegas, he’s already got the story there with Max, wants revenge.”
“Conor and Gaethje would feed families, it would feed f*cking countries, that would be crazy.”
A matchup between Gaethje and McGregor would bring together two of the UFC’s biggest attractions. It would also give Gaethje an opportunity to headline another blockbuster event after finally reaching the top of the lightweight division.
Questions Remain About McGregor’s Return Fight
Before any title discussions can take shape, McGregor must first get past Max Holloway at UFC 329. The former two-division champion returns after a five-year absence from competition following the leg injury he suffered against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
While the fight carries significant star power, Adesanya believes another opponent may have made more sense for McGregor’s comeback.
“I reckon he should have done the Chandler fight, to be honest,”
“Chandler, they have the story there. Chandler f*cking sat how many years of his career waiting for this fight?”
Adesanya also pointed to Holloway’s relentless style as a difficult challenge for someone returning after such a lengthy layoff.
“As a comeback fight, Max is a volume puncher, a guy who is just going to be in your face with legs, hands, that’s not an easy fight to come back to.”
“But look, if anyone rises to the occasion, it’s the Notorious one, Conor.”
Arman Tsarukyan Still Waiting for His Opportunity
The lightweight title picture is not solely centered around McGregor and Holloway. Top contender Arman Tsarukyan remains in the conversation after building one of the strongest résumés in the division.
Even so, Adesanya believes the UFC could favor a bigger storyline over strict rankings when it comes to Gaethje’s first title defense.
“Technically, he [Tsarukyan] should be the next guy to fight Justin, that would be a crazy fight.”
Stars Would Have to Align to Make McGregor vs Gaethje
While Israel Adesanya’s take might be correct in that McGregor vs. Gaethje would likely do great numbers, there are still a few issues.
First of all, Gaethje is the lightweight champ and he needs to defend his belt. Conor is the former lightweight kingpin. But he has not fought in 5 years and might even have trouble making it down to 170.
And, assuming he wins vs Max Holloway (considering he is a massive underdog at UFC bookies), will he really be able to get down to 155 to reclaim his belt?
A Fight Versus Machachev Might Feed Continents!
Of course there is another potential fight, this one at 170: Islam Machachev! If he would fight against Machachev, his former rival Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege… Imagine what those numbers would do… No more feeding countries, we could feed continents with that kind of money!