Interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje is set for his shot at the full title against Ilia Topuria later this month at the White House, and the former BMF titleholder took a personal jab at his upcoming opponent as part of a recent interview.
Gaethje will make his fourth attempt at undisputed gold on the South Lawn for UFC Freedom 250. He earned the interim 155-pound belt with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Paddy Pimblett back in January, proving that he has what it takes to compete for the belt again.
Topuria, who will be seeking his first title defence at 155-pounds, joined the elite list of fighters to earn UFC titles in two weight divisions with his first-round knockout of Max Holloway earlier this year. ‘El Matador’ has a ritual of taking a rose to his to his defeated opponents that many MMA fans feel is a bit too dramatic for the sport, meanwhile others find it to be a cold reminder of how ruthless the fight game can be when it comes to top level mindset.
While some find his antics to be amusing, Gaethje is clearly not one of them, given his comments in a recent interview. Not only did ‘The Highlight’ make it clear he is not a fan of the champion, but he even made it personal by taking a quick jab Topuria’s past marital trouble. Additionally, the interim titleholder even compared his self-assurance to the aforementioned, and always confident, Paddy Pimblett, who needed to eat his words when he met Gaethje earlier in the year.
“All that guy is, is a gimmick,” Gaethje said. “He calls himself the king. He thinks he’s a God. What an annoying little *******. I couldn’t imagine being in a room with him for 30 minutes listening to him talk about himself.”
“And I can say this: I would leave him. That’s all I’m saying. I would leave him. No way I would put up with his sh***.”
“It was similar with Paddy Pimblett. He was so full of himself,” Gaethje said. “It can be so detrimental to approach life that way, thinking you’re better than everybody else, because nobody is better than anyone. We’re all children of God.”
(h/t MMA Junkie)