Ilia Topuria sees similar fate to Justin Gaethje as Charles Oliveira
UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria doesn't expect Justin Gaethje to last long with him. Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) faces interim champ Gaethje (27-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in a title-unification bout, which headlines UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 at The White House. Topuria needed less than three minutes to knock out Charles Oliveira to claim the vacant belt at UFC 317 .
He expects to do the same to Gaethje, whom he thinks resembles Oliveira's style. "Now with Justin Gaethje, everyone is saying, 'This is a super easy fight, he's going to get knocked out really fast,' but they're forgetting that Justin Gaethje is a very tough guy with a ton of experience," Topuria said in a translated interview with Alvaro Colmenero ( h/t Championship Rounds ). "It's a tough fight, but at the same time, like we always say, there are levels to this.
Everyone has their moment, and I feel like this is my moment, and victory will be mine. "Based on his fighting style, how he comes out in every fight, I see it ending quickly, honestly. I see it similar to the Charles Oliveira fight because I don't see him as someone who's going to trade and then back up or fight while moving backward.
I think he's the kind of guy who offers a fight, and when you do that, I think you're making a mistake. Especially when you're fighting someone like me who has so much technique. Yes, I think it's going to be in the first round.
" Topuria is oozing confidence after three straight knockouts over current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski , former champ Holloway, and BMF champ Oliveira. He is a big betting favorite to defeat Gaethje . This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Freedom 250: Ilia Topuria sees Justin Gaethje fight ending quickly