Justin Gaethje is sitting pretty right now. After finally becoming the undisputed UFC lightweight champion, ‘The Highlight’ has plenty of high-profile options on the table. But here’s the twist: avenging his previous losses doesn’t seem to be high on his priorities list.

Instead, Gaethje has set his sights on a blockbuster fight with none other than Conor McGregor.

“If I could pick anybody, who would I fight again? It would’ve been Oliveira or Holloway,” Gaethje told UFConParamount. “But since Topuria beat them, I’m gonna go and justify it to myself, like I got them back. I guess McGregor. It would be fun to shut him up.”

‘The Highlight’ has previously lost to Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, making either fighter a natural choice for his maiden title defense. ‘Do Bronxs’ submitted Justin Gaethje at UFC 274, and Max Holloway knocked him out at UFC 300.

However, the lightweight champion appears to have convinced himself that he has already settled both scores since he beat Topuria.

Ilia Topuria defeated Oliveira at UFC 317 before knocking out Holloway at UFC 308, and Gaethje then defeated ‘El Matador’ at UFC Freedom 250 in June.

The champion’s argument is that defeating the man who beat his former opponents gives him a form of win over those fighters. However, when Conor McGregor enters the picture, that same logic immediately creates a problem.

Dustin Poirier defeated ‘The Notorious’ twice, at UFC 257 and UFC 264, and Justin Gaethje defeated ‘The Diamond’ at UFC 291. According to Gaethje’s MMA math, he already has a win over Conor McGregor through Poirier.

And maybe he knows it too; that’s why ‘The Highlight’ also spoke about other possibilities for his next title defense, pointing toward Arman Tsarukyan as one fighter who could potentially emerge from the current lightweight picture.

“I know it’s going to be one of the best guys in the world,” Gaethje said when asked about his next opponent. “Arman fights; he was fighting [Charles] Oliveira, now he’s fighting someone else. But there’s a couple big fights that are going to determine who I’ll fight next.”

‘Ahalkalakets’ was supposed to fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 331, but he will now face Mauricio Ruffy instead. The outcome of that clash may help determine who moves closest to a shot at Justin Gaethje’s belt.

As for ‘The Notorious,’ his current situation makes a title fight even more complicated, since he is expected to be out of action until 2027 after suffering a serious knee injury at UFC 329 in Las Vegas.

So, it would be tough for the UFC to keep the lightweight title inactive for that long, regardless of how much hype a Justin Gaethje vs. Conor McGregor fight generates. In fact, it seems like the internet is already against it, as they didn’t waste any time in calling out the flaw in the lightweight champion’s MMA math.

Fans call out Justin Gaethje’s MMA math with ducking allegations

As expected, fight fans immediately noticed the flaw in Justin Gaethje’s reasoning, with several pointing out that he has already beaten the man who defeated Conor McGregor.

“Makes no sense. Justin beat Dustin, who beat Conor, so using that same incredibly dumb logic, he’s already got the Conor win under his belt,” one fan wrote. Another joked, “MMA math is finally being used for mental health purposes.”

“Bro is doing MMA math because he’s scared of them,” another fan claimed, while a fourth simply asked, “Math ain’t mathing wtf 😂.”

The logic also prompted another fan to point out the consequences of applying Justin Gaethje’s reasoning consistently. “With that logic, Ilia is 2-1 against Justin since he knocked out Oliveira and Holloway,” the fan wrote.

Others weren’t interested in the mathematics and instead accused the newly crowned champion of deliberately avoiding the most dangerous matchups available to him. “Guy is genuinely mastering the art of ducking,” one fan wrote.

“I like Justin, but if we’re just going to wait around for him to cherry-pick a favorable opponent for an easier payday, go ahead and just retire, man,” another argued.

Some took an even harsher view of Gaethje’s potential reluctance to face the fighters he has previously lost to. “Cause he knows he will lose each fight because he’s a little b—– boy who got luckier than any fighter ever,” one commenter claimed.

“Holy s— he’s terrified of Ilia 😂,” another wrote, while someone else bluntly described the situation as, “The s— is begging for McGregor or retirement.”

The frustration also extended beyond ‘The Highlight’ himself, with one fan questioning why champions often appear to become more selective once they finally win UFC gold. “Why does every champion turn into the worst possible version of themselves the second they get a belt?” the fan asked.

Whether Justin Gaethje’s MMA math was serious or simply a method of explaining his preference, the champion has made one thing clear: he isn’t eager to run back the losses that defined some of the biggest fights of his career. However, with Conor McGregor unavailable and the lightweight contenders still circling the throne, the UFC may ultimately have to make the decision for him.