Ilia Topuria made a bold claim ahead of his lightweight title unification bout with Justin Gaethje. He stated that he will finish Gaethje quickly on the South Lawn of the White House at UFC Freedom 250.
Topuria vs. Gaethje will headline the historic event on Jun. 14. It coincides with President Donald Trump‘s 80th birthday and America’s 250th anniversary, drawing a broader audience.
Topuria has built a strong reputation with his incredible knockout ability and confidence ahead of his fights. Two months before the fight, ‘El Matador’ has already updated his professional record to 18-0 in his Instagram bio.
This is not new, as he hosted a celebration prior to facing Charles Oliveira last year, a fight he won by knockout. With the win, Topuria joined the list of fighters to become a two-division UFC champion.
Ilia Topuria Predicts Knockout Win Over Justin Gaethje
Ilia Topuria expressed confidence that he will successfully retain his lightweight championship against Justin Gaethje. He also said he will add another knockout to his highlight-reel.
Topuria is currently on a streak of knockout wins dating back to his run at featherweight. In his last three bouts, ‘El Matador’ has knocked out Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Oliveira. What makes that streak even more impressive is that all three victories came in title fights.
Now, Topuria predicts that Gaethje will experience the same fate.
“I think the public has already met me, they are already aware of the skills I possess inside the octagon,” Topuria told Marca (translated). “As analyzing the fighting style that Justin [Gaethje] brings here, it is like he will most likely end up asleep in the 1st round.”
He added: “[I updated my record to 18-0 in my Instagram bio because] I am very confident of my victory.”
Topuria Praises Gaethje Ahead of UFC Freedom 250
While Topuria is confident he will deliver another 1st round knockout, he praised Gaethje as a future Hall of Famer. He explained that facing ‘The Highlight’ motivates him, especially given the stakes and historic venue.
Topuria has an opportunity to play the spoiler by defeating an American in the White House card‘s main event. The reigning lightweight champion recalled how critics overlooked him before he moved up to 155 pounds. He used that as additional motivation to prove his doubters wrong.
“Everyone said I was small, that [the lightweights] were going to finish me off, that they were going to knock me out, then I go up and knock out Charles [Oliveira],” Topuria told Marca (translated). “Now the [Gaethje] fight is announced and it’s like I’m fighting with a person who never did anything and they’re underestimating him more than necessary.”
Topuria noted that Gaethje is now the one being counted out. Despite his belief that the fight will end early, he made it clear that he respects Gaethje.
“I don’t know why that is, but what is clear is [Gaethje is] a very tough guy, a guy who will undoubtedly end up in the [UFC] Hall of Fame, and who represents a lot of danger.”
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