UFC Rumors: Experts Predict Chances Of A Connor McGregor, Justin Gaethje Bout

KEY POINTS

The recently concluded UFC 249 was hailed as a success amidst the threat of the coronavirus
The developments after UFC 249 have teased a possible Connor McGregor fight brewing soon
ESPN experts chipped in on their thoughts of the chances of a Connor McGregor - Justin Gaethje fight

Amidst the global pandemic, Dana White and his team were able to pull off a successful run of UFC 249. But it was the development after the event that sparked rumors of a potential fight involving Connor McGregor.

The weekend saw the unique setup of the fight card headlined by UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. The five-round victory of Gaethje over Tony Ferguson via TKO was one of the main highlights of the evening. The high-action affair saw Ferguson fall to a loss for the first time since 2012. In addition to this, Ferguson left with a broken orbital bone after more than 20 minutes of battling inside the octagon.

Social media was lit up with the return of sporting action despite the threat of the coronavirus. But one account that stood out the most was McGregor’s Twitter page where the iconic fighter let out a barrage of hostile tweets towards Gaethje.

The fans make the sport!
Watching the other night I was against going in without them. But it will be my fucking pleasure to display the power I possess with zero background noise for them.
Its me and Justin next as khabib is the biggest bottle fighter in the game.
Guarantee it.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 11, 2020

Justin, there is no danger in a man that hugs legs, we all know. Try and dance around what the real threat is here all you want.
I am going to fucking butcher you.
Your teeth. I’m going to put them on a fucking necklace.
Speak on my skills as a father?
You are fucking dead.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 11, 2020

It was an all-out rant from the Notorious One as he even had choice words for Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Khabib you absolute embarrassment. Scurrying, hiding rat as usual. As I have said many times. As has been seen many times. Through the pane of glass it was confirmed what was always known.
“No comment” lol.
An embarrassment to real fighting.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 11, 2020

This behavior doesn’t come as a surprise from McGregor given his history with trash talking and altercations outside the octagon. With the hype of McGregor and Gaethje matching up in a sanctioned UFC fight, experts gave their predictions on its probability.

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim shared their thoughts on the McGregor-Gaethje heat.

“No, I don't think the UFC will make that fight. There was a time when McGregor called the shots when almost nothing happened in the UFC's lightweight division without considering him first, but that is no longer the case,” Okamoto said.

For Raimondi, he suggests another direction for what the UFC can take.

“What the UFC could do is have McGregor wait and fight the Nurmagomedov vs. Gaethje winner. That would also open the possibility of having a live gate for a McGregor fight later in the year or in early 2021,” Raimondi added.

As for Wagenheim, he finds it a bit too much that McGregor has been challenging just about anyone into a fight.

“If McGregor wants in on that action, he needs to go fight a top-five contender,” Wagenheim said.

With the world in a unique predicament, it will be interesting to see how McGregor’s challenges will hold up in the coming few months.