Justin Gaethje loves how the tables have turned with Conor McGregor ... telling TMZ Sports it's the Irishman's turn to wait in line for a fight.
"I get to pick between Conor and [Khabib Nurmagomedov] right now," Gaethje says.
"I can pick whichever one I want. That’s a spot every single person in the sport, I don’t care what weight class you’re in, would love to be in the spot that I am in right now."
"Timing is everything. To have Conor on his knees begging for a fight, it’s a testament for the hard work and believing in my ability to show up and perform."
As we previously reported, Gaethje had been calling for a fight with Conor for YEARS -- but the guy wouldn't sign a contract.
I've asked @Justin_Gaethje about @TheNotoriousMMA a lot over the last 2 years (see video — "I wanna f*ck that dude up!") Justin wanted the Conor fight, bad. But the script has flipped. Still, for #UFC fans, I hope this fight happens... someday soon.🙏 pic.twitter.com/LEXwBmVXjT
— michael j. babcock (@mikejbabcock) May 13, 2020
Now, it's McGregor who's been trying to bait Justin ... and JG loves it.
Justin says right now he's laser-focused on fighting Khabib to "prove that I'm the best"... but he isn't ruling out a brawl with Conor after that.
"I could fight those two fights and retire", Gaethje says. "Monetarily, that's huge for me."
"So, yeah, it's a great spot to be in."
As for Khabib, Justin shares a manager with the Dagestani superstar -- and they're all very cordial.
Still, Gaethje has a message for Khabib -- "When we fight, it's going to be huge."
"It’s going to be the two best in the world figuring out who's the best on that night for 25 minutes.”
As for where the fight could take place, Justin says he's down to have the scrap anywhere on the planet ... "Sh*t, I'll fight him somewhere in the heart of Dagestan or Russia."
"Bring on the chaos, baby!"