Justin Gaethje and his head coach, Trevor Wittman, are meticulously studying Ilia Topuria’s past performances to gain a comprehensive understanding of his fighting style. The interim lightweight champion Gaethje is set to face the reigning 155-pound titleholder Topuria in the main event of UFC 250 on June 14th.
Gaethje has previously outlined his strategy, emphasizing his intention to dictate the pace and advance against Topuria. The 37-year-old believes that Topuria’s previous opponents were caught off guard while retreating, leading to their defeat. To avoid a similar outcome, Gaethje plans to maintain forward pressure, viewing it as the key to overcoming “El Matador.”
Trevor Wittman Identifies a Key Tendency in Ilia Topuria’s Fighting
Justin Gaethje’s coach, Trevor Wittman, is providing valuable insights for his fighter ahead of the title unification bout. Recently, Gaethje and Wittman reviewed Topuria’s 2022 fight against Jai Herbert, which Topuria won via second-round knockout.
The bout against Herbert was an intense striking exchange. Although Topuria was outstruck early on and faced significant adversity, he consistently pressed forward. In the second round, after trapping Herbert against the cage and landing a damaging body shot, Topuria delivered a powerful right hook that secured the knockout. Even before Herbert hit the ground, the fight was over.
Wittman noted that during that fight, Topuria was knocked down by a head kick. However, as soon as Herbert attempted to capitalize, Topuria managed to secure a leg takedown. Reflecting on this moment, Gaethje’s coach stated:
“Sometimes he’ll wrestle, and usually when he does, it’s because he’s been hurt.”
Wittman further explained that when Topuria commits to offensive combinations, he attacks with 100% intensity, a factor Gaethje must respect. Wittman’s current focus as Gaethje’s coach is to analyze past footage to understand why Topuria often resorts to wrestling when he is hurt. By identifying these triggers, the goal is to understand Topuria’s game without falling into a fight that favors “El Matador.” Wittman added:
“We are not gonna fight his fight. We wanna fight our fight. Ilia is a superstar, but heโs 100% human, and weโre going to show him that night.”
Watch the comments from Justin Gaethje’s coach, Trevor Wittman, below:
