Former UFC Champ Pushes Justin Gaethje to Revamp Game Plan Before Ilia Topuria Bout
A former UFC champion has given his two cents on the Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje bout that is expected to happen later this year, when ‘El Matador’ returns to the octagon following his hiatus.
‘The Highlight’ grabbed the interim title this past weekend at UFC 324 by outclassing Paddy Pimblett on the feet. The current and two-time interim UFC lightweight kingpin now wants to land a spot on the White House Card. Gaethje’s wish to fight again on June 14 fits perfectly into Topuria’s return plans, as the Georgian-Spaniard wants to fight anytime between April and June.
After this weekend’s brutal five-round “absolute dogfight” with Pimblett, Gaethje will need ample recovery before he enters the octagon again to unify the titles with Topuria.
Former UFC champ shares what Justin Gaethje needs to do against Ilia Topuria
Recently, former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker gave his two cents on the Topuria vs. Gaethje bout. Whittaker believes the 37-year-old can’t fight Ilia Topuria the same way he fought Paddy Pimblett.
The Reaper’ reminded that Topuria’s right hand has the power to sleep any foe in the octagon. Hence, constant forward pressure, which is part of the 37-year-old’s game plan, won’t be effective against ‘El Matador.’
Justin Gaethje can afford to walk Topuria down or trade recklessly in the pocket. Against ‘The Baddy,’ the American fighter relied far less on leg kicks and was straight-up brawling. While that approach worked at UFC 324, Whittaker suggests it would be a major risk against Topuria. On his MMArcade Podcast, Robert Whittaker said:
Ilia’s string is leagues above everybody in the UFC, and the wrestling and jiu-jitsu are there. His timing, his instincts, his instinct to fire off, his counterattacks… It’s a hard fight [for Gaethje]. Things are gotta change in Gaethje’s camp to make the fight competitive. The Gaethje that fought Paddy won’t beat Ilia right now. But that’s not what I am saying, that we’ll see [the same version of] Gaethje when he fights Ilia. Maybe that was just the game plan for Paddy.”
Check out Robert Whittaker’s comments below:
Against Topuria, Justin Gaethje needs to fight at range, manage distance, most importantly, and be far more selective with his engagements if he hopes to grab the undisputed lightweight championship in 2026.
