WASHINGTON – Justin Gaethje is arguably the most consistently entertaining fighter in the history of MMA. However, his opponent, Ilia Topuria, is warning the MMA world that a different version of Gaethje is coming.
Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) is set to unify the UFC lightweight title against Gaethje (27-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) this Sunday in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 (Paramount+), which takes place at the White House. Regardless of what’s at stake, Gaethje has gone out there time and time again and delivered violence to his opponents. Well, this time around, Topuria believes Gaethje will have a much different approach, one that will look to drag out their title fight.
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“I think we’re going to see a completely different Justin than we’re used to seeing,” Topuria said at Wednesday’s UFC Freedom 250 media day. “He’s going to show up in a completely different style, and he’s going to try to wrestle and try to come out with hard kicks and the inside leg kicks and outside high kicks – with a strategy to go to the later rounds and be fading and come up with the punches. So what we are expecting is a completely different Justin than we’re used to seeing.”
Topuria made a bold prediction that he was going to finish Gaethje in the first two minutes of their bout. This was in response to Gaethje taking a personal shot at Topuria’s recent divorce. Topuria, who appeared to take the comments personally, said that was no longer the case.
“He said so many things after what he said,” Topuria said. “First of all, he said that he wasn’t meaning about the divorce. Then he said that he was joking. Whatever, I don’t care. You can’t take anything personal from an idiot. He’s an idiot. ‘My father is my dad,’ that’s all. Did you see that video? ‘My father is my dad.'”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ilia Topuria expects ‘completely different’ Justin Gaethje at UFC White House
