Fresh off a decisive victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291, lightweight star Justin Gaethje didn’t hold back on his opinion of Conor McGregor after being called out by his rival following the match.
Gaethje (25–4) was the talk of the UFC world on Saturday after winning his rematch with Poirer (29–8) by way of an epic head kick KO to take home the BMF title. Shortly after the finish, McGregor took to Twitter to extend a challenge to the new champion.
“Justin, I’ll slap you around,” McGregor wrote in a since-deleted tweet.
During his post-fight press conference, Gaethje dismissed the Irish star’s attempt to goad him into a long-awaited showdown after years of back and forth. The 34-year-old American then delivered a scathing reply about McGregor’s alleged use of banned substances while mulling the prospect of a potential fight.
“I like to fight big fights, so it sounds pretty exciting to me. I’m not gonna fight someone on steroids,” said Gaethje. “I’ve never taken steroids in my life, never will … and I don’t want to fight someone that’s cheating. And I probably shouldn’t say that if I want the fight, but it’s the truth.”
Gaethje’s response referenced allegations of steroid use that have followed McGregor throughout his career. The 35-year-old is currently looking for a way back into UFC after failing to re-enter the promotion’s anti-doping program and not complying with the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
To date, McGregor has never tested positive for PEDs in his career.
Justin Gaethje responds to Conor McGregor: “I’m not gonna fight someone on steroids” 😬 #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/DMd7vwnYUy
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) July 30, 2023
In addition to the steroid claims, Gaethje also slammed McGregor for allegedly turning down numerous attempts to fight him when asked about the former two-division champion saying he’s the “real BMF.”
“I think he’s turned me down six times. And, usually, you have to lose to fight him, so I don’t know what’s going on,” he said.
Given McGregor’s ongoing issues, it remains to be seen when/if a fight with Gaethje will ever happen. For now, though, the pair will have to keep their war of words going from afar, with Gaethje now in position for a future shot at the lightweight title against reigning champ Islam Makhachev or his upcoming challenger, Charles Oliveira.
