Ilia Topuria has built his reputation on confidence, heavy hands, and perfection, but ahead of his first lightweight title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC White House on Sunday night, the undefeated champion insists this fight carries a different level of emotion.
What began as another championship assignment has turned into something more personal for Topuria, who didn’t hold back when talking about comments made by Gaethje in the buildup to one of the most anticipated fights of the year.
“I was surprised a little bit. I wasn’t expecting him doing this kind of things, but, it is what it is,” Topuria told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.
“He said so many things after what he 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. Honestly, you can’t take anything personal from a idiot. He’s an idiot. ‘My father is my dad’. That’s all.”
For Topuria (17-0) the emotions surrounding this matchup have long gone beyond the usual competitive stakes, admitting that the line between business and personal feelings can sometimes blur. Even so, he stressed that throughout his career he has consistently found a way to channel those emotions into his performances without losing sight of his responsibilities as a professional athlete.
“Throughout my career I’ve always faced situations that turn into that. Turns into personal and professional, but I’ve always been able to manage those and turn those things into something. It is personal, but I’ve always been a professional,” he said.
“On the 14th of June you’re going to see that I’m going to be the professional that I am.”
Topuria said he isn’t expecting the version of Gaethje that fans have become accustomed to seeing throughout his UFC career, predicting a much more measured and strategic approach.
Rather than engaging in a firefight from the opening bell, Topuria believes Gaethje will attempt to conserve energy as he hopes to get into the championship rounds of their main event bout.
“I think that we are going to see a completely different Justin than we used to see. He’s going to show up in a completely different style. He’s going to try to wrestle, he’s going to try to come out with the hard kicks. With the strategy to go into the later rounds, and then be like fading and come out with the punches,” he said.
Topuria is confident in his ability to capitalize on Gaethje’s trademark aggression, suggesting that charging forward recklessly would play directly into his hands. At the same time, the undefeated champion questioned whether Gaethje would actually stick to that approach once the cage door closes, as he expects to dictate the terms of the fight.
“Listen, if he’s going to try to move forward, we all know what’s going to happen. I’m going to put him to sleep in the first two minutes,” he said.
“But I don’t know how much of what he’s saying is the truth. He’s going to have to deal with my strategy, I’m not going to have to deal with his.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Ilia Topuria above. He headlines UFC White House against Justin Gaethje on Sunday night.
