Ilia Topuria promises his issues with Justin Gaethje aren’t going to be settled just because they share the octagon together in the UFC White House main event on Sunday.
As he prepares to defend his lightweight title for the first time, Topuria initially had no issue with Gaethje and just saw the fight as a great way to compete on the biggest stage possible as one-half of the headliner for one of the most unique events in UFC history. But the trash talk has ratcheted up in recent weeks to the point where Topuria has lost all respect for Gaethje and his team.
In fact, Topuria vows even if his prediction comes true and he flatlines Gaethje inside the first round, he won’t put the past behind him and let go of all of his animosity. There won’t be any post-fight handshakes or hugs and Topuria says Gaethje has no one to blame but himself for that happening.
“I always had the desire to knock him out,” Topuria told reporters during a media scrum on Tuesday. “But this time it was like if after I knocked him out, I would shake his hand and show him some respect.
“This time, it’s not going to be like that. I’m not going to show him any respect.”
Topuria claims his opinion about Gaethje really changed after he heard the current interim UFC lightweight champion reference his recent divorce during an interview to promote the fight.
Gaethje was largely taking aim at Topuria’s ego but added that he understood why the lightweight champion’s now ex-wife wanted out of their marriage.
That definitely got under Topuria’s skin but at the same time he admits he wasn’t exactly shocked that Gaethje went down that road.
“I always had the perception that he was kind of an idiot,” Topuria said. “He just confirmed that. So it wasn’t any surprise to me.”
As far as the fight itself, Topuria remained adamant that he planned to dispatch Gaethje in devastating fashion with no plans to go past the first round on Sunday.
On the flipside, Gaethje is a decided underdog heading into the fight but there may be no better feeling than shocking the world with an upset win.
Obviously, Topuria doesn’t see that happening but he knows it’s the only hope and a prayer that Gaethje can hang onto before they finally meet on Sunday night.
“This is what they hope and that’s what they’ve been saying during this whole time,” Topuria said about Gaethje clinging onto a potential upset. “They are hoping for a miracle.”
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