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Former interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje gave his prediction for the upcoming UFC 257 headliner between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
Gaethje, currently the number 1-ranked contender in the UFC's 155-pound division, is coming off a second-round submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 back in October. After the fight, Nurmagomedov shocked the MMA world by announcing his retirement.
With the future of the UFC lightweight championship still uncertain, the division's top contenders are already looking to make their case as the next challengers for the title. The upcoming McGregor-Poirier clash at UFC 257 in January will definitely have serious title implications, and you can expect Justin Gaethje to be an interested spectator.
Speaking to Helen Yee, Gaethje gave his two cents on the Conor McGregor-Dustin Poirier matchup:
"I don’t know, man. These are two really high-level fighters, you know? Conor’s really good, Conor’s really good. I do see him probably winning. I don’t know. It would be interesting to see if Dustin rises to the occasion."
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier's clash at UFC 257 will be a rematch of their 2014 bout, when both fighters were still surging featherweight contenders. McGregor would come out on top, winning by first round TKO. Since then, both Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier have become titleholders in the lightweight division.
For Gaethje, the different weight division won't be a factor:
"I don’t think that’s an issue. I think that’s…what’s different is their mindsets, you know? Because of the places they are, the places they’ve gone since then. They’re much different people since that fight, both of them, so that would be interesting to see."
Could Justin Gaethje face the winner of the Conor McGregor-Dustin Poirier bout?
It's not likely that number 1-ranked UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje returns to the ring in 2020. While he did ask for a quick turnaround after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 last October, Gaethje has been on the shelf, and will likely have to wait for 2021 before he gets an Octagon date.
The question is, who will Justin Gaethje face in his UFC return?
The former interim UFC lightweight champion could be the next opponent for the winner of the Conor McGregor-Dustin Poirier main event at UFC 257. Given those two fighters' penchant for violence however, it's not likely that the winner gets a quick turnaround, meaning Gaethje would have to wait a bit.
Justin Gaethje has shared the Octagon with Dustin Poirier before, losing by 4th-round TKO in a Fight of the Year candidate back in 2018. He has yet to cross paths with Conor McGregor inside the Octagon.
If Justin Gaethje would rather return to action sooner rather than later however, one name that hasn't been booked yet is former Bellator world champion Michael Chandler. Chandler served as a back-up fighter for the Khabib-Gaethje matchup at UFC 254, and would definitely make an interesting dance partner for the most recent lightweight title challenger.
