Justin Gaethje says he wouldn't accept a fight against Khabib at the last minute

J. Gaethje (photo) states that he would not accept facing K. Nurmagomedov at the last minute. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @justin_gaethje

Challenger for the interim lightweight belt (up to 70,3kg.) next Saturday (9), at UFC 249, Justin gaethje showed a lot of courage in accepting to face Tony Ferguson last minute. The North American, however, stated that he would not have the same attitude if the commitment went against Khabib Nurmagomedov, current number one in the division.

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“I don't think I would have agreed to fight Khabib at the last minute,” said Gaethje in an interview with 'BT Sport'.

Aware that he will also have a great challenge when exchanging forces against the 'Bogeyman', Justin argued why he believes he has a better chance of triumphing over Ferguson than in a possible confrontation against the Russian.

“I think I have a better chance of touching Tony's chin than Khabib's in the first few rounds. To get knocked down once or twice by Khabib, get up and still be able to fight, I would need at least 10 weeks (of preparation). You know that I have been training my whole life, but there is a certain lactic acid (an organic compound that is related to energy expenditure in the human body) that must be taken into consideration”, said the North American.

Even though he sees more chances against Tony than against Nurmagomedov, Gaethje stated that the training process for the UFC 249 It is not suitable for a confrontation. The athlete, however, maintains the expectation of presenting spectators with a great spectacle.

“The circumstances are not perfect, but a fight is a fight. When I accepted the confrontation (initially for April 18th), I had 14 days to prepare. There, it was different from now. Now, I had five weeks to train. It wasn’t what I asked for”, he concluded.

Justin and Ferguson will be responsible for starring in the card that will mark the return of Ultimate activities, which has not held a show since March, due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The event will take place in Jacksonville, Florida (USA).