Top UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje has labelled Conor McGregor "irrelevant" and played down the Irishman's chances of getting a title shot in his return.
McGregor could make his octagon return at UFC 276 on July 2 as Dana White confirmed he is hopeful of a summer return for the former two-weight champion.
'Notorious' suffered a broken tibia in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier last year, but is hopeful of a full return to training in April.
McGregor asked the UFC what date he is fighting current lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in his return, with the Brazilian also pushing for the fight.
And No.1 ranked lightweight contender Gaethje thinks McGregor leapfrogging him for a title shot "should never happen".
“I don’t know, I don’t want to talk about it. The only reason it’s even almost (happening) is because you guys keep asking me about it, you guys keep talking about it,” Gaethje told BT Sport.
“You’re really just doing your job and it’s just to create a story, he’s irrelevant right now. He’s got a broken leg and you know, with that question you have to question the integrity.
"You as a journalist have to stand behind it and you know it should never happen and you should do everything to keep it from happening.”
McGregor is 1-3 in his last four fights, with his sole win during that run taking place at 170-pounds against Donald Cerrone in 2020.
Without a win at 155-pounds in over five years, McGregor finds himself ranked at No.9 in the division.
White has confirmed that Gaethje - who won 2021's Fight of the Year against Michael Chandler - will be next in line for Oliveira.
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The promotion recently announced a light heavyweight title fight between Brazilian champion Glover Teixeira and Czech fighter Jiri Prochazka for UFC 274.
And with Gaethje confident the UFC is heading to Brazil for that event, he wants in on the card.
"Nothing's been signed or promised, other than what you've heard and I've heard," he said of a fight with Oliveira.
"They're still working their way down to Brazil. I saw they announced Glover vs Jiri so that tells me they're working on this fight card, so I'm expecting a call any day.
"I wanna go down to Brazil, I wanna fight in the chaos. If you go back and listen to my earlier interviews, I said I wanted to go to enemy territory like Brazil and fight in the chaos.
"Them screaming I'm gonna die, 20,000 people, I'm 100 per cent confident that when I'm done they'll love me."
