Michael Chiesa doesn’t see a potential matchup the UFC can make that would exceed the magnitude of Justin Gaethje vs. Conor McGregor.
Chiesa, a longtime veteran of the promotion turned desk analyst, acknowledges the several hurdles that could prevent Gaethje from making his first title defense against the Irish superstar. Most notably, McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) must get past Max Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) in his UFC 329 comeback fight on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+).
If “The Notorious” can pull off the upset and complete an epic octagon return after five years, then his potential options would be endless, both in the welterweight and lightweight divisions. When surveying what would have the greatest impact, McGregor returning to challenge newly crowned 155-pound titleholder Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) would have Chiesa salivating.
“Let’s say Conor McGregor beats Max Holloway, what better fight is there to do right now from a viewing standpoint?” Chiesa told MMA Junkie. “Arman Tsarukyan is the next guy, for sure. … Conor McGregor vs. Justin Gaethje, if Conor beats Max Holloway – does it get much bigger than that right now? That is the matchup to make in terms of bringing in eyes. It’s the only thing that can compete with the White House, is Gaethje and Conor.
“I see the business side of things, and I see the fighter side of things. The fighter side of me says Arman (should fight Gaethje), but the business side of me says if Conor can get past Max Holloway, that’s the fight. There’s not a bigger fight you could hypothetically make right now that would draw more eyes than a Justin Gaethje vs. Conor McGregor fight. That would be incredible.”
McGregor getting the victory at UFC 329 wouldn’t be the only obstacle preventing a Gaethje fight. McGregor has confirmed he will have just one fight remaining on his contract after the International Fight Week headliner, and it’s no secret that UFC would not offer him a championship fight without a new contract in place.
UFC CEO Dana White claims UFC 329 will set a record-setting gate for an MMA event in Nevada, and if the viewership numbers on Paramount+ and a winning performance follow, then Chiesa sees McGregor having all the leverage he would need to have UFC meet his demands.
“If he beats Max, they’re going to do everything in their power to not let him go,” Chiesa said. “I think the biggest thing for Conor is I think he really wants to test the bare knuckle (BKFC) side of things. He’s got a lot of involvement in that company. Seeing him talk on Ariel (Helwani’s) show, you can really see the conviction in him wanting to explore his options and be a pugilist in all the different parts of combat. I can respect that. But man, I would really like to see it. I don’t want to see him beat Max, because I love Max, but I would love to see a Justin Gaethje and Conor McGregor fight.”
On the other side, Gaethje, who achieved the ultimate MMA moment with his UFC Freedom 250 upset of Ilia Topuria at the White House this month, has made it clear he has financial aspirations of his own with the UFC going forward. It remains to be seen what will happen with that, but if McGregor is a potential option, Chiesa sees the two sides finding middle ground.
“For Justin, that’s going to give him the payday that he wanted,” Chiesa said. “It’s like, ‘OK, you want me to fight Conor? Pay me X amount.’ They’re going to do it. It would be a lot of fun, if Conor can get past Max.”
To hear more from Chiesa, check out his complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.
