Justin Gaethje is set to face a dangerous opponent when he steps into the Octagon on June 14.
It’s not just any fight, either. The UFC lightweight titles will be unified that night, with Gaethje taking on champion Ilia Topuria in the main event at the White House.
‘El Matador’ comes into the bout riding a wave of momentum, having stopped Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski in back-to-back fights.
A lot of fans are expecting Gaethje to add his name to that list. Comments from Alex Pereira’s coach have only added fuel to those predictions.
Fans took notice when Alex Pereira posted a video with Topuria ahead of UFC 303. ‘El Matador’ visited ‘Poatan’ during his training camp for Jiri Prochazka. While they weren’t seen sparring, one clip showed them grappling together in an MMA cage.
During a Q&A with fans on Instagram, Faria didn’t just predict victory for Topuria – he called it early: “Topuria,” Faria said via DempsterMMA translation. “I think within two rounds.” He did note later that “it could go longer,” but also doubled down by saying.
Plinio Cruz says he’s never seen anyone in Topuria’s weight class hit like him
Alex Pereira will also be fighting on the same card as Topuria and Gaethje, adding even more star power to the event.
In addition to the lightweight main event, fans will see Alex Pereira take on Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title. A win would make Pereira the first fighter in UFC history to hold belts in three different divisions.
Pereira’s coach recently got an up-close look at Topuria’s boxing skills and came away very impressed with what he saw.
“I’ve never in my life seen a guy (in) that weight class in MMA hit mitts like that,” Cruz said about Topuria (h/t Central do MMA via X). “It’s scary,” he added.
The champion has already told fans what they can expect from his return and is backing himself to add another knockout to his highlight reel when he steps back into the Octagon on June 14. He has even planned a dinner with family and friends before taking on Gaethje.
Cruz seemed convinced that there won’t be any surprises if Topuria delivers exactly what he said once again at White House 304.
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