Justin Gaethje was made for Ilia Topuria, according to his brother
Aleksandre Topuria is confident he knows exactly when Ilia Topuria can land his knockout shot on Justin Gaethje.
We’re just over a month out from what’s being billed as one of the most significant nights in combat sports, with the UFC White House event set to take place on the South Lawn.
In the main event, Justin Gaethje will look to become the first fighter to beat Ilia Topuria as they meet for the undisputed lightweight title.
Ilia Topuria’s camp is confident in his ability to knock out Gaethje
There’s a growing sense among MMA fans that Justin Gaethje is walking into a mismatch against Topuria, especially with many viewing this as the final chapter of his fighting career.
The 29-year-old champion has been looking sharp throughout his camp, so much so that teammates have even asked him to dial it back. Expectations are high, and many believe the interim champ could be in for a tough night.
His brother, Aleksandre Topuria, has once again played a key role in his preparation. The UFC bantamweight contender has identified exactly when he thinks Gaethje will be most susceptible to getting knocked out.
“One important thing. Justin Gaethje picks his shots when you stand in front of him,” Aleksandre told Ilia during a recent training session.
“When you stand here, which is like Michael Chandler and he also picks when Michael Chandler did this (stands in front of him with his head forward), when you stand with the leg way forward trying to dodge his uppercut, then he comes in with calf kicks.
“But when you stand a bit square on he comes in with uppercuts. If you don’t want to take it and you show him, ‘okay, I’ll move my body forward’ and then he’s gonna want to start hitting you from here because he has long range.”
Gaethje’s reliance on the uppercut is well-documented. In particular, Tony Ferguson nearly capitalised on an overextended attempt during their fight.
“He’s very fragile when he hits, but it’s a double-edged sword to choose to hit him when he’s hitting. So you’ve got to be very selective with your shots. When he hits is when he’s very vulnerable to shots, because he doesn’t know how to hit clean.
“He hits with everything, that’s where he’s vulnerable. But that’s where you have to be careful, if you choose to hit him when he’s open it’s because you’ve calculated it a lot.”
If everything falls into place for Ilia Topuria on July 27th at UFC White House as expected by most fans – including Aleksandre – it could mark another step towards greatness for ‘El Matador.’
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