Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje clash over family remarks

UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria accused Justin Gaethje of stepping over the line after the lightweight brought up his divorce and ex-wife in a social media exchange.

Topuria posted that matters between him and his former spouse remain private, telling followers to respect the mother of his daughter. "What happened between my ex-wife and me is our business," he wrote, per Sherdog. "You don't have to respect our [relationship], but she is the mother of my daughter."

Gaethje fires back at Topuria over father comment

Gaethje responded by saying Topuria dragged personal matters into the public first. He referenced Topuria mentioning his father, who had reportedly called the featherweight champion short and predicted Gaethje would beat him. "You should've kept your father out of this," Gaethje posted, according to the report. "He was the one calling me a short guy and saying you'd smash me, all while holding a beer in his hand."

Gaethje also hit back at Topuria for suggesting he would not want to share living space with the lightweight. The two fighters are expected to attend a UFC event at the White House, where tensions could spill over in person.

Both men compete in different weight classes, making an immediate matchup unlikely, though the war of words has raised questions about whether the promotion could broker a catchweight bout down the line.

Source: sherdog.com