Justin Gaethje recently shared his thoughts on being the underdog against Ilia Topuria ahead of their upcoming clash.
Gaethje and Topuria are set to throw down in a lightweight championship fight at UFC White House on June 14. The eagerly awaited event is part of the America250 celebrations and will feature an Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane interim heavyweight title fight in the co-main spot.
While Gaethje is coming off a unanimous decision win over Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January, Topuria last defeated Charles Oliveira via first-round knockout at UFC 317 last June and took home the 155-pound title.
The Georgian-Spanish fighter boasts a perfect 17-0 record as a professional, with 15 of those wins coming via a finish. Given Topuria’s resume and reputation, a significant portion of MMA fans believe Gaethje will be in for an extremely rough night come June 14. Unsurprisingly, he’s also the betting underdog.
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In an interview with TMZ Sports, ‘The Highlight’ dismissed being concerned about his underdog status and said:
“I love it. For one, my style of fighting is so special that, in a way, people just don’t understand what’s going on. There’s no reason. I’ve had 15 fights in the UFC; I think I’ve been the underdog 13 times. I’ve won 10 of those fights. So this has happened every time. Why? I don’t know.”
He added:
“This one, specifically, I understand. He knocked out Max Holloway; Max Holloway knocked me out. He knocked out Charles Oliveira; Charles Oliveira finished me. So, it makes perfect sense. But it’s 25 minutes in time. I get to control my destiny, and what an opportunity. [H/t: MMA Fighting]
Watch the full interview below:
Justin Gaethje vows to humble Ilia Topuria at UFC White House
In the same interview, Justin Gaethje vowed to remind Ilia Topuria that he wasn’t “some kind of god or king” and humble him.
Making a massive promise, ‘The Hightlight’ said:
“I love pressure; I love being the underdog. I love being counted out and I love the fact that my opponent thinks he is some kind of God or king, because I get to bring him down and let him know he is just a human, like all of us.”
Edited by Nishant Zende.
