Justin Gaethje provided his reaction to Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler coaching the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Season 31 of TUF is getting a much-needed injection of entertainment. Chandler and ‘The Notorious’ are set to be the coaches, with a highly-anticipated matchup at some point after the season. During an interview with The Schmo, Gaethje was asked about the announcement and who he thinks will win. The number three-ranked UFC lightweight responded by saying:
“It makes perfect sense. That man only fights people I beat… I don’t fucking care [who wins]. It’ll be fun. I’ll definitely pirate it or whatever the hell they do, steal it. I ain’t paying for that.”
Gatheje was referring to his wins over Donald Cerrone and Chandler. Meanwhile, ‘The Notorious’ holds wins over Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, who both beat ‘The Highlight.’ Nonetheless, the Trevor Wittman affiliate isn’t currently worried about any fighter not named Rafael Fiziev.
Watch The Schmo interview Justin Gaethje below:
Justin Gaethje is locked in on his upcoming fight against Rafael Fiziev, predicts a knockout
Justin Gaethje last fought against Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight championship in May 2022, losing by a first-round submission. Gatheje is now looking to get back on track against number six-ranked Rafael Fiziev. During the same interview with The Schmo, ‘The Highlight’ had this to say about his upcoming fight:
“Same as always, you know. Trust in the preparation, the hard work, lifelong commitment that I’ve put into this and go in there and put that motherf**ker to sleep… I do what I do. On March 18, I’m gonna blow the roof off the O2 Arena. Every person in attendance will get their adrenaline rush and their money’s worth.”
Gaethje was then asked about potentially earning another title shot by defeating Fiziev:
“We’ll see. Who f**ing knows? I don’t care. This fight is the only that matters to me right now.”
At 34 years old, Gaethje is running out of time to become a UFC champion. The Arizona native has endured tons of damage throughout his career, and another war or two could lead to a decline in his durability. With that said, ‘The Highlight’ is always dangerous and has an elite team behind him, which could lead to a run for the 155-pound title.
