Ilia Topuria has never been one to give his opponents much credit.
That hasn’t changed in the build-up to his first title defence, which comes nearly a year after he beat Charles Oliveira to take the belt.
This time, Topuria will step in against Justin Gaethje in a unification bout, headlining the UFC event scheduled for June 14 at the White House.
Heading into this fight, Topuria is again a heavy favourite and seems to believe that any predictions favouring him are entirely justified.
Despite being widely favoured, Ilia Topuria isn’t expecting anything other than complete dominance. He made that clear while speaking to reporters ahead of UFC’s return this weekend, giving his thoughts on Gaethje’s game.
Ilia Topuria responds to Ali Abdelaziz’s bold claim about Justin Gaethje
Ilia Topuria has never lacked confidence, and that self-assurance is only growing stronger as he prepares to face Justin Gaethje.
So much so, in fact, that Topuria is planning to celebrate before the fight. Just like he did ahead of his win over Charles Oliveira, the 29-year-old intends to have a celebratory dinner the night before UFC White House.
With that mindset, it’s no surprise how he reacted to a recent comment from interim titleholder manager Ali Abdelaziz.
Topuria didn’t waste words responding. Instead, he replied with a laughing emoji, making it clear where he stands on Gaethje’s chances.
The result set up his chance at the full title against Topuria. The American will welcome him back into action following his time away from fighting due to personal issues.
This will be ‘The Highlight’s’ third attempt at claiming the undisputed belt after falling short against Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov in previous tries.
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