Justin Gaethje is demanding to fight Ilia Topuria.
If matchmakers refuse to book “The Highlight” against the reigning 155-pound champion, then Gaethje will likely retire from combat sports. That’s been called a “pretty wacky” ultimatum, but the No. 5-ranked lightweight contender saved his receipts.
Perhaps UFC (and Topuria) are keeping Gaethje from an unnecessary “slaughter.”
“Justin Gaethje, he gets mopped by Ilia,” former UFC welterweight title challenger, Jorge Masvidal, told CasinoHawks (via MMA
Junkie). “Don’t do it, Gaethje. I know all the f*cking Bud Light-drinking Americans love Gaethje. But bro, you’re gonna get this guy f*cking slaughtered and concussed worse than before. He’s gonna leave there looking straight like Homer Simpson. I think that’s a bad fight for Gaethje.”
Masvidal and Gaethje have a history of online beef.
“I train a lot with Arman Tsarukyan, and I know his style,” Masvidal said. “I think he’ll give Ilia the best fight probably, because of his adaptability. And he can wrestle. He can strike well. Naturally bigger than Ilia. And they’re hovering around the same speed. They’re close in speed, where Ilia has a fast-forward button and makes all these guys look in slow-mo. My boy can keep up in the speed department. But I lean towards Ilia now.”
Sounds like UFC might be leaning toward this lightweight “Baddy.”
Gaethje, 36, rebounded from a knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300 to score a unanimous decision victory over Rafael Fiziev as part of the UFC 313 pay-per-view (PPV) card last March, improving his MMA record to 26-5 with 20 knockouts.
A decision on Topuria’s next opponent is expected in the coming weeks.
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