Man, TS is getting a lot of flack for something that is absolutely commonplace in boxing, albeit with the roles reversed a bit here.
Boxers will usually pay a step aside fee to their mandatory opponent when they have a more lucrative fight lined up. I'm not saying it should be done here, since Khabib/Tony is already all signed and official, but if Conor ends up jumping the line in front of Gaethje, then Gaethje deserves to be compensated for that bullshit.
It's better than Dana saying "we need to get on the same page" when trying to pass over a more deserving contender for his boy. It's not a bad idea. That said, since UFC wants the fight so badly, THEY should be the ones paying Gaethje the step aside fee.