Justin Gaethje “will think about never fighting in the UFC again” if Conor McGregor gets title shot

Justin Gaethje would consider walking away from the UFC forever if Conor McGregor is granted an immediate lightweight title shot.

McGregor fought in the main event of UFC 257 last weekend, when he was knocked out by Dustin Poirier. With this result, McGregor and Poirier entered into a 1-1 tie, as McGregor beat Poirier by first-round knockout in the featherweight division in 2014.

After UFC 257, McGregor and his team have suggested a tie-breaking trilogy fight with Poirier—with the vacant UFC lightweight title on the line.

Gaethje, for his part, will be appalled if that’s how things shake out, and would even consider bailing on the UFC.

“For them to come out and say he wants a title shot next, rematch with Poirier, they’re f—ing idiots,” Gaethje told ESPN. “He’s been treated special over and over and he didn’t capitalize on this opportunity. That event was for him, it was for him to win. He wants to be ‘Mr. Humble’ now, but you know he would have been an asshole had he won that fight.

“He’s not fighting for a title. I will think about never fighting in the UFC again if he fights for a title. That would be preposterous,” Gaethje added. “He’s sitting at No. 6, he’s won one fight in his entire life in the lightweight division. He picks and chooses who he fights. I would love to fight him but I don’t think it should be next. But he ain’t gonna fight me.”

Justin Gaethje last fought in October, when he was submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov in a failed bid to capture the UFC lightweight title. Prior to that, he was riding a string of stoppage victories over Tony Ferguson, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Edson Barboza, and James Vick. He’s currently ranked No. 3 at lightweight.

What do you think of his comments about McGregor?