Gaethje willing to serve as backup for Khabib-Ferguson

Justin Gaethje is willing to serve as a backup for the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson lightweight title fight, but only if the UFC covers the cost of his training camp.

"I'm planning on trying to maybe push myself to be ready for around that date just in case something happens," Gaethje told "The Luke Thomas Show" on Monday. "But it's super hard for me to get up for a training camp and get up for a fight when I don't actually have an opponent, so I don't know if that's gonna happen.

"Financially, it's a commitment to train for a fight, especially for a fight like that. But I wouldn't be against it. Ultimately, I want to fight Khabib, I have to fight Khabib. If that's ultimately how it goes down, I will be only mad at myself if I'm not ready for it."

In recent years, the promotion has occasionally asked a fighter to be a backup for a title fight in case something happens to the champion or challenger before the bout. Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson has been booked - and canceled - four times before, so it seems likely the UFC will want a backup for this fight even more.

Ideally, though, Gaethje said he'd simply challenge the winner of the fight, which takes place April 18 in Brooklyn. Gaethje, the No. 4-ranked lightweight, has won three straight matchups, all by first-round knockout.

Because of when the Nurmagomedov-Ferguson fight is scheduled, Gaethje wouldn't be able to clash with the winner until the second or third quarter of 2020 at best. For him, sooner is better, but he's willing to wait a bit longer because fighting for UFC gold is why he entered the sport.

"I don't want to (wait), I'm not getting any younger, but I want to fight for the world title," Gaethje said. "I'm not gonna be a fool. I'm gonna make smart business decisions from here on out."