Adesanya Pushes for Gaethje vs McGregor Superfight, Says It Would "Feed Countries"

Israel Adesanya thinks the UFC is sitting on the biggest fight it can possibly make right now. It's not McGregor vs Holloway.

Speaking on Demetrious Johnson's YouTube channel after UFC Freedom 250, Adesanya laid out why he believes Justin Gaethje vs Conor McGregor is the real money fight, It would not just be a big fight, it'd be the kind of fight that changes the sport.

"Conor and Gaethje would feed families, it would feed f*****g countries," Israel Adesanya said. "That would be crazy. It would feed everybody, World Vision."

Justin Gaethje Should Be Watching From Cageside

Israel Adesanya's take is simple. Gaethje is coming off one of the largest UFC upsets in history after knocking out Topuria in the White House to claim the undisputed lightweight title. McGregor is fighting Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11th.

Israel Adesanya thinks Gaethje should be the man front and center cageside in Vegas for everything.

"I think Gaethje should go watch Max vs Conor," Israel Adesanya said. "Gaethje sitting cageside at Max vs Conor in Vegas. He's already got the story with Max, wants revenge, but also Conor and Gaethje would feed families."

The logic makes sense, as well. If McGregor wins, you get McGregor vs Gaethje for the lightweight title, a fight with two of the most violent strikers in UFC history going at it with real gold on the line. If Holloway wins, you get Gaethje vs Holloway II, with the belt and a revenge storyline from the UFC 300 knockout that still gets talked about constantly.

Either way, Gaethje walks into a massive fight and the UFC makes a fortune.

Even Conor McGregor Is Interested

Here's the part that makes this more than just a podcast take. McGregor heard about it and responded during an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, he directly addressed the idea of fighting Gaethje.

"When Gaethje is on, he's good, he's okay," McGregor said. "But when he's off, he's atrocious. I fancy him, handily. I fancy teeing off on Gaethje."

The new lightweight champion just pulled off the upset of the year, the biggest star in the sport is already calling him beatable. One of the most respected former champions in the game is publicly saying the fight would be massive. 

What About Arman Tsarukyan?

Arman Tsarukyan is ranked No. 1 at lightweight and has the strongest case for the next title shot on paper. Adesanya acknowledged that.

"Technically, Tsarukyan should be the next guy to fight Justin," Adesanya said. "That would be a crazy fight. But the UFC likes the narratives they can create and the one with Conor or Max, revenge match with Max, that would be insane."

That's the tension at lightweight right now. You've got the deserving contender in Tsarukyan and then you've got the money fights with McGregor and Holloway.

Adesanya is basically saying the UFC is going to follow the money. The promotion has never been shy about making the bigger fight when the option is there. Holloway is already training with a former welterweight champion to prepare for McGregor.

The winner of that fight with a title shot attached? That's the biggest event the UFC can book for the rest of 2026.

"It would feed everybody," Adesanya said.