Conor McGregor tweets and deletes ableist joke about Justin Gaethje

UFC megastar Conor McGregor is often touted as one of the greatest trash talkers in combat sports history. In a recent transgression, the 34-year-old made a rather ableist joke about fellow lightweight Justin Gaethje on Twitter, calling him a handicap.

The joke, however, didn't sit well with the MMA community, with many fans taking to Twitter to blast the Irishman. McGregor later deleted the Tweet, most likely due to severe backlash.

This is far from the only verbal tirade the duo has had on social media. They have, on more than a few occasions, shown their animosity for each other.

Last year, the Irishman called Gaethje a "grade A jack a**" when the American lost his title fight against Charles Oliveira:

"Gaethje is a Jacka**. The amount of dribble he speaks as well. Over and over. A grade A jacka**! A bird brain with a bird brain manager."

Conor McGregor is expected to make his UFC return later this year in a fight against former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler. 'The Notorious' holds a record of 22-6 and will be hoping to get this first win in three years at the event.

Justin Gaethje, on the other hand, picked up a high-profile win against surging contender Rafael Fiziev earlier this month at UFC 286. 'The Highlight' is the No. 3-ranked lightweight contender and is seen by many as one of the most exciting fighters in the promotion.

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Justin Gaethje says he is going to "pirate" Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler

Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler has all the makings of a pay-per-view blockbuster. The duo served as opposing coaches for Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter.

However, it seems that Justin Gaethje won't be buying the pay-per-view. During a recent interview with The Schmo, the former interim lightweight champion stated that he doesn't care about the matchup.

Furthermore, 'The Highlight' added that he would illegally stream the pay-per-view if he ends up watching it:

"I don't f*****g care [who wins]. Yeah, it'll be fun. I'll probably, definitely pirate it or whatever the hell they do [or] Steal it. I ain't paying for that."

Catch Justin Gaethje's comments below: