The path is finally clear for Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje at the UFC White House.
Though that contest is not yet officially booked, it’s the most likely main event option for the huge summer spectacle. Topuria’s personal issues have been settled, allowing him to focus in on his fighting career and return to action. Gaethje, meanwhile, earned himself another opportunity to fight for undisputed gold by battering Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324, and he’s been abundantly clear about his UFC White House dreams.
A highly anticipated matchup and title unification does not always equal a competitive matchup, however. Ilia Topuria’s coach Javi Clement believes that this will be a very quick knockout win for his pupil, as Gaethje’s bad habits will prove easy pickings for the ferocious Spanish knockout artist.
“I’m not going to say 30 seconds, a minute, or two minutes, but 100% it would be in the first round and 100% in the first exchange,” Javi Clement explained to Alvaro Colmenero. “I am 100% sure that no matter how strong Justin Gaethje is, no matter how much he wants to win, when Ilia connects with you, you’re not going to walk forward. And if you do, the same thing that happened to Oliveira will happen to you. Oliveira wanted to walk forward and ended up on the ground. Justin has several bad habits that I’ve already analyzed very well, and those habits will cost him big if he does them on fight day.”
Topuria is heavily favored over “The Highlight,” who has twice previously come up short in his quest for a UFC title. This will undoubtedly be his final opportunity, so it’s up to Gaethje to prove bettors and Clement wrong on fight night … assuming he gets the opportunity as planned. Earlier this week, Islam Makhachev suddenly expressed a renewed interest in facing Topuria at the White House card, which could throw a wrench in Gaethje’s plans if UFC really wants to create the biggest possible matchups.
Paramount has to recoup that $7.7 billion investment somehow.
