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Gaethje blasts McGregor: 'You took the easy road'

Jeff Bottari / UFC / Getty

Warning: This story contains coarse language

Justin Gaethje isn't buying Conor McGregor's recent comments.

The UFC interim lightweight champion responded to McGregor's claim Sunday that the Irishman wanted to fight Gaethje earlier this year, saying he believes the former champ was never interested in fighting him.

"Not a good look lying on the boss. Anything to not look like a b----," Gaethje tweeted. "You had me in January; I was calling on you left and right, and not a peep. My manager asked if I wanted you after Tony (Ferguson), but you know, fuck you. You never wanted it, you took the easy road, kid."

Gaethje's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, wrote in a separate tweet that McGregor could've fought Gaethje at UFC 246 in January but instead chose to square off with Donald Cerrone.

McGregor claimed Saturday that UFC president Dana White had lied about him turning down fights.

On Friday, McGregor revealed a series of messages between him and White from earlier in 2020. The former two-division titleholder mentioned Gaethje as a potential opponent for an event in May, but White insisted that the fight take place no earlier than July.

White said McGregor releasing their private Instagram conversation was "one of the dirtiest things you can do."

ESPN's Ariel Helwani reported in August that the promotion was targeting a fight between McGregor and Gaethje for International Fight Week in July before the coronavirus pandemic apparently halted those plans.

McGregor, who last beat Cerrone via 40-second TKO, is in talks to face Manny Pacquiao in a boxing match.

Gaethje, who finished Ferguson at UFC 249 in May to capture the interim belt, is scheduled to face lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 on Oct. 24.

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