Former World Series Of Fighting Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje is currently coaching opposite former UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez on the UFC Ultimate Fighter 26.
UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor gassed during the end of The Money Fight and suffered a tenth round TKO loss to Floyd Mayweather. The current TUF coach has a theory as to why the UFC fighter gassed during the boxing encounter.
“The reason he can’t fight through when he gets super tired is he’s never grappled,” Gaethje said to MMA Fighting. “You have to learn how to fight through when it sucks and it’s really hard. You have to be in that position over and over and over, to be able to perform in that mindset. The fact that he’s never wrestled or grappled, it doesn’t help when he gets super tired and starts questioning himself.”
Gaethje doesn’t have any pro boxing experience to speak of, which is the same thing McGregor could’ve said right before the super fight.
Even though McGregor lost the boxing bout, the lightweight contender says an MMA fighter can beat a boxer in street fight almost all the time.
“If he goes in there and gets knocked out, yeah MMA takes a hit. But it’s not gonna hurt us,” Gaethje said. “Because at the end of the day, all we have to say is, ‘Let’s have a real fight.’ In a real fight, in the street, when it comes to life and death, an MMA fighter will win 90 percent of the time against just a boxer. I’m content and comfortable with that.”
UFC Ultimate Fighter 26 currently airs Wednesday Night at 10pm EST. on Fox Sports 1, the finale takes place on Friday, December 1.
