The UFC has a proper ranking system. In an ideal world, the ranking system must serve as the yardstick that determines who gets the next title shot. However, now and then, a fighter like Conor McGregor comes along whose brand value dwarfs the validity of the ranking system.

Conor McGregor’s current situation has made the scene a little complex in the UFC lightweight division. McGregor started as a featherweight. It was in the 145 pounds division that McGregor became the biggest star in the organization. He has only had two fights as a lightweight. Both of them were title fights. He won the first one by knocking out Eddie Alvarez and lost the next one via submission at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The nature of the Conor-Khabib fight has made it very difficult for Conor to have a rematch. Even UFC President, Dana White has been pushing for a title shot for the Irishman. He had already claimed before McGregor fought Cowboy Cerrone, that a win would mean a title shot for Conor.

But all this talk of Conor being promoted to a title shot is unfair to one person the most – Justin Gaethje.

Conor McGregor or Justin Gaethje, Who Should Fight For the Title Next?

How does Gaethje’s resume stack up against Conor at 155 pounds?

Justin Gaethje came into the UFC as an undefeated fighter who had a reputation of having a reckless style of fighting. Gaethje cemented his image in his very first fight against Michael Johnson. His next two fights were defeats at the hands of Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier.

Consequently, he toned down his style of fighting and became more cautious. The approach quickly translated in wins for him.

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Gaethje’s record is thus 4-2 at 155 pounds. On comparison with Conor, who has a paltry 1-1, it does look a bit better on paper. But then Conor has had fights against only former champions. One can argue that he knocked out Eddie Alvarez, who in turn knocked out Justin Gaethje. Conor has also notched up a win over Dustin Poirier, who would later go on to defeat Gaethje. This shows that MMA math is always easy, but never an accurate depiction of the true picture.

Title fights are also set up to attract a large base of audience. In an era of multiple division champs, the lines that separated fighters in different weight classes are starting to get blurred. A much older and out of prime Jose Also gets a title shot only because he can turn much more heads than Aljamain Sterling or Petr Yan.

Conor brings with himself the eyes of millions who watch him from around the world. The enigma of MMA’s biggest PPV seller is what makes him a sure shot sell inside the Octagon. On the other hand, one can argue that Gaethje’s fights are no snooze fest either. Win or lose, he has always gone home with a post-fight bonus. His three Performance of the Night and four Fight of the Night awards are a testimony to the fact that he has lived up to his nickname, “The Highlight”.

Eventually, if Conor does bypass Gaethje for a title shot there wouldn’t be much that Gaethje can do. We have witnessed enough number of times that the UFC is eventually a business. And the best product in a business is the one that sells the best.