Justin Gaethje fires back at Ilia Topuria's knockout prediction

Justin Gaethje dismissed Ilia Topuria's repeated predictions of a sub-two-minute knockout, saying the featherweight champion has misjudged him before and is setting himself up for disappointment.

Topuria has insisted their UFC White House main event will end in the opening round with a devastating finish, but Gaethje pointed out that his opponent was wrong when he predicted Gaethje had no chance against Paddy Pimblett. "He's been wrong about me so many times," Gaethje said during media day, per MMA Fighting. "When he heard I was going to fight Paddy Pimblett, he said I had zero chance. I definitely won that fight."

Topuria's bold talk creates pressure to deliver

Gaethje acknowledged that anything can happen in a fight but believes Topuria's brash promises have trapped him. If the bout reaches the second round or if Topuria takes damage, how does he reconcile that with his certainty? "He's backed himself into a corner," Gaethje said. "Because when we go to a second round, how's he going to justify that to himself?"

The lightweight contender said he prepares for a full 25-minute war and expects to dig deep through adversity. He noted that even opponents who beat him describe the experience as brutal, making Topuria's confidence puzzling. Gaethje has only been stopped in the first round once in his career.

The way Topuria has talked, Gaethje added, means anything short of a spectacular knockout will look like a letdown. "Even if he wins and has a tough fight, he's going to have a tough fight against a guy he says does not belong in the cage with him," he said. The fighters meet Sunday at UFC White House.

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — Justin Gaethje reacts to Ilia Topuria making bold predictions about their fight: ‘He’s been wrong about me so many times’ | MMA Fighting