Ought to Gaethje struggle Conor McGregor subsequent?

For somebody who was nowhere close to Vancouver in the course of the previous week, Conor McGregor’s presence was felt throughout UFC Combat Night time festivities.

The specter of the previous light-weight champ loomed massive as Justin Gaethje battled Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone on Saturday night time, trying to assist outline the trail to problem for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s crown.

Gaethje did his half, scoring a first-round TKO to take a step nearer to title rivalry. However will that subsequent step put Gaethje in an Octagon reverse McGregor?

McGregor hasn’t fought since dropping to Nurmagomedov on Oct. 6, 2018, and he needs a rematch. However the unhealthy blood from that occasion, which featured a postfight melee, runs deep, and Nurmagomedov would moderately give the title shot to No. 1 contender Tony Ferguson.

UFC president Dana White opened the door for a McGregor-Nurmagomedov rematch by saying if Ferguson’s bid for a title shot fell by, the rematch would make sense. It actually would produce big pay-per-view numbers for the UFC.

But when Ferguson does land his well-deserved title shot, the UFC will face an attention-grabbing choice in selecting an opponent for McGregor’s return.

Gaethje had been talked about as a potential McGregor opponent earlier this yr, however no struggle materialized. Gaethje had harsh and private phrases for McGregor within the lead-up to Saturday’s card, and afterward he mentioned: “The Irishman is retired. I would like an actual fighter. I would like the winner of Tony and Khabib.”

However the UFC could produce other plans. Now that Gaethje has received, he turns into one of many favorites to face McGregor. A panel of ESPN consultants mentioned whether or not Gaethje must be McGregor’s subsequent opponent, and the way that struggle would look.

Justin Gaethje celebrates after defeating Donald Cerrone in the principle occasion at UFC Combat Night time. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC

Chael Sonnen, ESPN analyst and former UFC middleweight contender

I feel that Gaethje vs. McGregor would make sense by way of the rating and the matchup and the flexibility to attract. It simply would not seem that Conor needs to struggle anybody. He is doing this actually bizarre factor the place each week he is calling any individual out. He is by no means known as anybody out who hasn’t instantly accepted, giddy and excited, and by some means that turns him off and he goes and calls any individual else out. No, I might not suppose that Gaethje goes to struggle Conor. I might argue that it does make sense, however no, I might not predict that it might occur.

If it did occur?

We do not get higher as human beings with age, and we actually do not get higher at one thing by not doing it. Conor hasn’t carried out it in a significant period of time whereas these guys are working their asses off and competing, so I feel it might be fairly laborious to create a state of affairs the place you’ll favor Conor in a contest with Gaethje. The kinds have one factor to do with it, it is like a lazy strategy that everyone breaks down. It is far more about rust and exercise and momentum and work ethic than it’s about jabs and crosses, however stylistically it might be enjoyable. Conor is a stand-up fighter, Gaethje is a stand-up fighter and really sturdy. It might be very enjoyable to observe.

Ariel Helwani, ESPN analyst

It is not possible to say for sure proper now as a result of McGregor’s subsequent struggle is not set, however I do suppose Gaethje can be the proper opponent to welcome McGregor again. First, his fashion fits McGregor. He primarily likes to strike and would not thoughts getting a bit of reckless in there. That is excellent for McGregor. Second, Gaethje has been poking McGregor loads this yr and has even made issues private recently, so this may clearly be a sellable struggle. Now, I are inclined to suppose that even along with his Q score feeling a bit of low, McGregor vs. a broomstick sells, but when you could find a striker who will make it private, all the higher. Gaethje is that man. I do not suppose McGregor ought to leap again in there with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Get a win, after which shoot for the rematch.

If it did occur?

It will depend on which McGregor exhibits up. If it is a motivated McGregor, I might favor McGregor in that struggle. Traditionally, he has carried out nicely in opposition to fellow strikers, particularly ones who throw warning to the wind like Gaethje. If it is an unmotivated McGregor, all bets are off. It is laborious to foretell which McGregor will present up today due to every thing occurring in his life and his immense fame.

Conor McGregor hasn’t fought since dropping to Khabib Nurmagomedov on Oct. 6, 2018. AP Picture/John Locher

Brett Okamoto, ESPN analyst

Ought to Gaethje get the struggle? Sure. It is marketable. Conor McGregor vs. The Most Entertaining Fighter in MMA? The UFC can promote any McGregor struggle, however that is a pleasant narrative. To not point out, Gaethje’s been moderately outspoken recently on what sort of human being he thinks McGregor is. You realize, Dustin Poirier simply threw out McGregor’s title as nicely, and for me, both choice (McGregor vs. Poirier 2, or McGregor vs. Gaethje) is a pleasant struggle. Nevertheless it certain would not appear like McGregor is combating earlier than the tip of the yr. And as we nicely know, there aren’t any ensures on when he is coming again.

If it did occur?

Gaethje would have the identical factor going for him in opposition to McGregor that he does in opposition to all of his opponents, and that is strain. Shut your eyes and film a McGregor struggle. The place is he? He is within the middle of the cage. He is not on his again foot, circling the perimeter. Gaethje forces his opponents to just do that along with his fixed strain. Now, the disadvantage in that fashion is he sometimes takes some injury as he implements it … and you’ll’t afford to take many photographs from McGregor. I do not care that Nate Diaz was in a position to take McGregor’s finest photographs. You do not wish to make a behavior of it. On paper, I might are inclined to favor McGregor on this matchup.

Marc Raimondi, ESPN employees author

It actually places Gaethje on the checklist of being McGregor’s subsequent opponent, and possibly even close to the highest. In McGregor’s current interview with our personal Ariel Helwani, he mentioned that he was in talks with the UFC to struggle Gaethje again in July at Madison Sq. Backyard earlier than McGregor broke his hand in coaching. After all, Gaethje mentioned that was the primary he ever heard of such a possible reserving, so take all of that for what it is price. If Nurmagomedov faces Ferguson, Gaethje makes as a lot sense as anybody for McGregor subsequent. Ought to or not it’s McGregor vs. Gaethje? It might absolutely be a ton of enjoyable and no followers would complain about it. Will or not it’s the struggle? There are too many variables to say for sure.

If it did occur?

It might be very attention-grabbing to see. On paper, Gaethje’s fashion can be a bonus for McGregor. Gaethje comes ahead, pressures and throws first, whereas McGregor is a particularly correct and highly effective counterpuncher. Bear in mind McGregor’s 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo? That is not a precise comparability, but when there’s one factor McGregor is sweet at, it is timing and distance. Gaethje will attempt to shut that distance in a rush and hold McGregor on his heels. Now, Gaethje goes to eat some photographs. That is simply the best way he does issues. He sacrifices protection at instances to get into positions the place he can let his fingers go. A giant query right here is whether or not or not Gaethje can survive McGregor’s monstrous left hand, the one which has befallen many an opponent. Diaz was in a position to survive these photographs, although he took a licking early. McGregor tends to tire within the center rounds and he did midway by the second within the first Diaz struggle. Gaethje has cardio for days, not in contrast to Diaz. The opposite issue at play: Is that this the identical McGregor, the identical man who smoked Alvarez and Aldo and confirmed coronary heart gutting out the second Diaz struggle? If it is not that very same man, then getting right into a cage with Gaethje looks like a harmful proposition. Gaethje will check McGregor’s chin and can.

The largest variable in figuring out Conor McGregor’s subsequent opponent is whether or not Tony Ferguson, proper, challenges for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s title. The struggle’s been scheduled earlier than, but it surely hasn’t but materialized. AP Picture/John Locher

Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN editor

You realize the time period “addition by subtraction”? Properly, this reserving can be the equally useful mirror picture of that. By including Gaethje to McGregor’s dance card, the UFC can be subtracting Conor from the dialog round Nurmagomedov’s subsequent title protection. And albeit, that’s what’s most necessary right here.

McGregor absolutely would like a Khabib rematch over a struggle with Gaethje or anybody else, not simply due to the belt that’d be on the road however much more so as a result of he is not one to simply accept defeat and stroll away. Conor is the GOAT in the case of self-belief. Regardless of being thrashed by the light-weight champ final October, he needs nothing greater than one other shot, I am satisfied, simply as he did after being choked out by Diaz three years in the past. This is hoping he will get that probability at redemption, not simply because he is a money cow for the pay-per-view enterprise. Let him earn it within the Octagon. A win over an all-action, high-pressure fighter like Gaethje would go a good distance towards getting McGregor there. So, yeah, let’s e book the struggle.

If it did occur?

It will depend on who steps off the non-public jet from Dublin. Is it the identical hungry Irishman who fought his solution to the highest by frequently setting the bar greater and better, but by some means by no means out of attain? Is it the identical man who crumbled the legendary Aldo in seconds and have become a two-division champion by making then-champ Eddie Alvarez appear like a Contender Collection also-ran? That model of Conor McGregor might very nicely dismantle Gaethje with breathtaking effectivity. However does that man exist anymore?

“Precision beats energy,” Conor used to say, “and timing beats pace.” These weren’t simply phrases. That was McGregor’s inward-focused scouting report on what made him particular throughout his rise. However does it nonetheless apply to him after three years principally away from MMA and along with his rising whiskey enterprise on his thoughts? It is not possible to find out a lot from the Nurmagomedov struggle — McGregor received smashed, however everybody will get smashed by Khabib. Are Conor’s impeccable precision and timing rusted over? They’d higher not be, as a result of the all-out assault of Gaethje can be an unforgiving check.