Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje exchange insults before UFC bout

UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and former lightweight titleholder Justin Gaethje took their pre-fight trash talk to a personal level this week, with each fighter targeting the other's family members in heated social media exchanges.

According to Sherdog, the confrontation escalated after Gaethje referenced Topuria's recent divorce and suggested he would not want to be the champion's roommate. Topuria responded by defending his ex-wife and accusing Gaethje of crossing a boundary by discussing his personal life.

Topuria defends ex-wife, attacks Gaethje's father

"What happened between my ex-wife and me is our business," Topuria wrote on social media. "We may no longer be together, but she is the mother of my daughter." He then shifted his focus to Gaethje's father, claiming the elder Gaethje had called him "a short guy" while holding a beer and predicting his son would "smash" the featherweight champion.

Topuria closed his message by calling Gaethje an "idiot" for bringing family matters into their rivalry. The back-and-forth comes as both fighters are scheduled to compete at UFC Freedom 250, though the promotion has not yet announced a specific date for the card.

Gaethje, who has not held a UFC title since losing the lightweight belt in 2023, has repeatedly predicted he will finish Topuria inside the distance. Topuria has countered by saying Gaethje's game plan makes for an easy knockout and has vowed to stop him in the first round.

Source: sherdog.com