Justin Gaethje already has a game plan set for Conor Mcgregor.
While the UFC Interim Lightweight Champion will meet Khabib Nurmagomedov in September at UFC 253, Gaethje seems ready to fight the former Lightweight Champion next if he wins at the pay-per-view. The beef between the two UFC fighters is no secret at this point, so it’s no surprise that the 31-year-old wants to punch McGregor in his face:
“I think he should wait for the winner of me and Khabib,” Gaethje told ESPN. “If I win, I think he definitely comes back. If Khabib wins, I don’t know. I’m not sure about that. (Conor’s) a legend, man. What he did was legendary status. I’ll never take that away from him. He deserves credit. He’s accomplished so much in this sport. What every fighter wants to attain, he accomplished, so hats off to him. I can’t wait to punch him in the face.”
Gaethje describes his game plan when fighting the former two-division champion, noting that control and distance are the key factors in taking down “Notorious”:
“Distance control is the No. 1 factor in any fight,” Gaethje said. “It’s established in the first 30 seconds. It’s not visible, but it’s established, and that would be a huge factor in our fight. Who can control the distance? I think the best thing about me is I can kick the (expletive) out of people, so when they are trying to control distance or maybe they are winning at that, I can kick them in the leg and try to reset that. So I think I would knock him out to be honest.
“I think he’s got about three rounds, and then it’s hell, and he doesn’t want to go to hell, so I think he’s good for now.”