UFC Champion Justin Gaethje Floats Conor McGregor Fight While Weighing His Own Retirement Timeline

UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje said he remains undecided about his future in the sport but acknowledged interest in a potential matchup with Conor McGregor, even as he continues to grapple with the reality that his championship window will not stay open indefinitely.

Gaethje, who captured the lightweight title in June with a win over Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250, discussed his outlook during a sit-down interview with UFC on Paramount that ran just under 11 minutes. The champion has yet to schedule his first title defense as he continues nursing hand injuries sustained during his career.

Speaking while visiting the University of Florida, Gaethje reflected on the internal drive that has fueled his career, describing a personal, almost competitive relationship with his own standing in the sport.

"It's tough, because, you know, like again, I'm a petty person," Gaethje said. "I wouldn't be where I am at if I didn't like take things about my UFC career personal. You know, not being the best in the world, I take that personal, so I woke up with that hunger."

Now adjusting to life as a champion, Gaethje said he has not settled on a clear plan for how much longer he intends to compete, pointing instead to a longstanding approach of taking his career one fight at a time.

"I really rely on my team and my family to make these choices," Gaethje said. "When I retire, I have no idea. It has been one fight at a time since day one. I'm gonna continue to take it like that and trust in my team to have a conversation."

Gaethje turns 38 in November, a milestone that has added urgency to conversations about how much longer he can realistically remain at the top of one of the UFC's most competitive divisions. While he said he has no immediate plans to retire, he acknowledged the practical reality that his time as champion will not last indefinitely.

Despite not having a specific opponent locked in for his next fight, Gaethje indicated that a sense of unfinished business continues to motivate him as he looks toward potential future matchups. Asked about the prospect of facing former two-division champion Conor McGregor, Gaethje expressed interest in the fight, though he offered a somewhat mistaken rationale for why the matchup would hold personal significance.

"I would've rematched Charles Oliveira or Max Holloway, but since Topuria beat them, I'm gonna go ahead and justify it to myself like I got them back," Gaethje said. "So I guess McGregor, would be fun to shut him up."

Gaethje's comment appeared to conflate his interest in avenging past results against Oliveira and Holloway, both of whom have previously lost to Topuria, with McGregor, who has no direct connection to those results. McGregor has not fought in the UFC's lightweight title picture in recent years and was not among the fighters Gaethje was referencing in the context of Topuria's victories.

Beyond the rationale Gaethje offered, a potential fight against McGregor faces significant practical hurdles. Should McGregor remain inactive through next spring, he would have won just two fights over more than a decade, a stark contrast to Gaethje's far more consistent record over that same stretch. A matchup between the two would also sidestep the UFC's current lightweight rankings, where Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan currently occupy the division's top two contender spots.

As a result, while a Gaethje-McGregor fight carries obvious nostalgic appeal given both fighters' standing as two of the promotion's most recognizable stars, such a matchup would effectively bypass the division's legitimate title contenders, a dynamic that has drawn scrutiny in past instances when the UFC has booked high-profile McGregor fights outside the normal rankings structure.

For now, no opponent or date has been finalized for Gaethje's first defense of the lightweight title he won in June. His June victory over Topuria at UFC Freedom 250, held on the White House South Lawn in Washington, D.C., marked a significant milestone in Gaethje's career, capping a run that has established him as one of the sport's most respected and popular competitors despite past title-fight setbacks earlier in his career.

Gaethje has built a reputation throughout his UFC tenure as one of the promotion's most action-oriented fighters, known for an aggressive, high-output style that has made him a fan favorite regardless of his position in the championship picture. His willingness to engage in wars inside the octagon has often overshadowed the technical evolution of his game in recent years, an evolution that ultimately culminated in his title-winning performance against Topuria.

The champion's comments regarding retirement reflect a broader trend among UFC veterans navigating the later stages of their careers, particularly in divisions as deep and competitive as lightweight, where a single loss can quickly reshape a fighter's standing in the title picture. Gaethje's emphasis on relying on his team and family to help guide decisions about his career timeline suggests a deliberate, collaborative approach rather than a fixed personal deadline for stepping away from competition.

McGregor, for his part, has not competed in the UFC since 2021, when he suffered a broken leg during a rematch against Dustin Poirier. Various potential return fights for McGregor have been discussed publicly over the ensuing years without materializing into a confirmed bout, leaving his standing within the current lightweight landscape largely theoretical rather than tied to any concrete ranking or recent performance.

As the UFC continues to sort out its plans for Gaethje's first title defense, along with the broader shape of the lightweight division heading into the new year, fans will likely continue speculating about a range of potential opponents for the champion, from ranked contenders like Tsarukyan to higher-profile, if less rankings-relevant, names like McGregor. For now, Gaethje has indicated he remains focused on maintaining his readiness for whichever opponent the promotion and his own team ultimately determine makes the most sense for his next outing.