McGregor says he's not thinking of fighting Justin Gaethje
Conor McGregor said at UFC 329 media day he is "not even thinking" of fighting lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, telling the newly crowned 155-pound titleholder to "join the queue" and branding him a "f***ing bum" while citing Max Holloway's knockout of Gaethje at UFC 300. McGregor faces Holloway in a welterweight rematch Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The exchange caps a week of headline-grabbing comments from the Irish superstar ahead of his first UFC bout since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. Gaethje captured the lightweight belt with an upset of Ilia Topuria at the UFC White House event in June and later said he "would love to punch Conor McGregor in the face." McGregor's reply made clear that Streaming & TV Alerts fans should not expect that bout anytime soon.
Key Takeaways
- McGregor dismissed a future fight with Justin Gaethje at UFC 329 media day, saying he is "not even thinking of it at this time."
- He told Gaethje to "join the queue," mocked the champ's UFC 300 loss to Max Holloway, and called him a "f***ing bum."
- McGregor questioned whether he will return to lightweight and said he "fancies the triple crown" instead.
- Gaethje won the lightweight title by stopping Ilia Topuria in June and publicly welcomed a McGregor matchup.
- McGregor's immediate focus is UFC 329 against Holloway, his first fight in roughly five years.
What did Conor McGregor say about Justin Gaethje?
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday at UFC 329 media day in Las Vegas, McGregor responded directly to Gaethje's callout. "Join the queue," he said. "There's a few. Look, he has the lightweight belt, fair play to him. Holloway put him face down, ass up, though. Badly. Badly face down."
McGregor then shut the door on a lightweight return for now. "So I'm not even thinking of it at this time," he said, according to theScore. "Would I go down to lightweight again? Also that's another thing I'm not so sure. I fancy the triple crown. Less with the disrespect, you f***ing bum."
Why is a McGregor vs. Gaethje fight unlikely right now?
McGregor is not fighting at 155 pounds this weekend. He meets Holloway at welterweight in the UFC 329 main event, marking his long-awaited comeback after a five-year layoff. Any talk of Gaethje depends first on McGregor getting through Holloway, whom he beat by unanimous decision in 2013.
McGregor also signaled bigger ambitions than reclaiming lightweight gold. As MMA Fighting noted, his "triple crown" comment points toward becoming the first fighter to win UFC titles in three divisions. He already held featherweight and lightweight gold; welterweight champion Islam Makhachev defends against Ian Machado Garry on Aug. 15.
What else stood out from McGregor's UFC 329 media day?
The Gaethje barbs were not the only talking points. At the same session, McGregor addressed criticism of his return following a 2024 Irish civil jury verdict that found him liable for sexually assaulting Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in 2018. "I'm an innocent man," he said, adding the outcome "stings deep" but that he would keep fighting, per Fox Sports.
McGregor, 37, enters UFC 329 on a two-fight skid and a 1-3 run since 2018. Gaethje, also 37, will be watching Saturday's card closely. For now, McGregor has put the lightweight champion at the back of a very long line.