Justin Gaethje: I'll 'start throwing dollies' if UFC gives 'irrelevant' Conor McGregor next title shot

Justin Gaethje will lose his mind if the UFC grants Conor McGregor his wish and gives him the next lightweight title shot.

Just last month, McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) declared that he's fighting for the title upon his return, and even UFC champion Charles Oliveira (32-8 MMA, 20-8 UFC) is open to giving him the opportunity.

But former interim lightweight champ Gaethje (23-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), who's coming off a thrilling win over Michael Chandler at UFC 268, can't understand how McGregor is even in the title conversation when his lone UFC win at 155 pounds came in a championship-winning performance against Eddie Alvarez more than five years ago.

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"I'll burn it all down. What do you mean?" Gaethje told TMZ. "(Expletive) burn it down, that's what I'd do. (McGregor) is so irrelevant. He has not won a fight since 2016 in the lightweight division. I'm ranked No. 1. I saw they updated the rankings. I'm No. 1 now. That feels pretty good. My whole life I've been working towards this. That is what's next. If not, I'll (expletive) burn it down. I'll show up and start throwing dollies everywhere. I don't know what the answer is."

UFC president Dana White said Gaethje should be next for the title and if he does end up getting his opportunity and beating Oliveira, he said won't give McGregor a shot.

"I would absolutely not allow him to fight for the title," Gaethje said. "He did not win and go through the process. He's not gonna (expletive) on everything that we — there's too many. Beneil Dariush, Islam Makhachev, those are the guys that we fight. Not Conor McGregor. That's not how this works. He's becoming more and more irrelevant as time goes on. Pretty soon you won't even be asking me these questions. It's gonna be a beautiful (expletive) day."

McGregor is targeting a summer return after breaking his leg at UFC 264 in July. The sport's biggest draw is never short of options for his next fight, but he still has his sights set on gold. McGregor recently doubled down on his desire to fight Oliveira, asking when he would be fighting the champion.