Is Justin Gaethje Going to Vacate His Belt to Fight Conor McGregor?
Justin Gaethje’s future as UFC lightweight champion has become one of the biggest talking points in the division, with a potential Conor McGregor fight sitting at the centre of the discussion.
Gaethje has made it clear that a fight with McGregor interests him, particularly given the financial opportunity that would come with the matchup. However, the champion is also dealing with injuries and has indicated that he may not return until 2027.
The biggest question is whether Gaethje would actually be willing to give up his UFC lightweight championship to make the McGregor fight happen. That possibility has now drawn criticism from former two-division champion Daniel Cormier.
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Daniel Cormier Warns Gaethje Against Vacating the UFC Title
“I read somewhere that Gaethje said he would vacate the belt to fight Conor. You can’t do that. It would harm his legacy to give away the belt & put value in the money fight over being the champ. Probably was just talking, but Justin’s got options. Arman is a star, there’s Ilia too.”
Cormier believes Gaethje has plenty of alternatives if he wants to continue competing. Arman Tsarukyan is one of the leading contenders in the lightweight division, while Ilia Topuria remains another major name despite moving up in weight.
For Gaethje, however, the situation is complicated by his stage of his career. The veteran has already spoken about retirement, meaning a massive payday against McGregor could potentially be more attractive than another traditional title defence.
There is currently no confirmation that Gaethje plans to vacate his championship. His comments appear to have opened the door to a McGregor fight, but that does not necessarily mean he has decided to surrender the belt.
A fight against McGregor would arguably be one of the biggest financial opportunities available to Gaethje, but giving up the lightweight championship would also have a significant impact on his legacy.
For now, Gaethje has options. Whether he chooses the championship path or the money fight with McGregor could ultimately depend on how he views the final chapter of his career.
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