Ilia Topuria responds to Justin Gaethje’s coach suggesting offensive wrestling as backup plan
Justin Gaethje rarely relies on his wrestling once the cage door closes. Ilia Topuria’s camp feel that they can take advantage of this, seeing opportunities to expose gaps when Gaethje is focused on pressing forward and throwing power shots.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Justin Gaethje rarely relies on his wrestling once the cage door closes. Ilia Topuria’s camp feel that they can take advantage of this, seeing opportunities to expose gaps when Gaethje is focused on pressing forward and throwing power shots. Still, Gaethje has built a reputation for breaking opponents with his relentless style.
Few have managed to withstand the pressure and still come out on top. His power, volume, and toughness make him a nightmare for anyone standing across from him. But as Topuria’s team have pointed out during training, the interim champion will have to be wary of the champion’s hands.
If he gets too comfortable standing in front of him, it could force him to switch things up mid-fight. Justin Gaethje’s camp keeping offensive wrestling in his ‘back pocket’ Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Gaethje picked up nearly six minutes of control time against Pimblett, but it wasn’t the sort of fight you’d expect. We often see Gaethje using his wrestling skills to keep the fight on the feet rather than taking it to the mat.
He uses his background more as a defensive tool, shutting down takedowns and forcing exchanges where he feels most comfortable. In a recent training video, Topuria reacted with a surprised, “Wrestling?! ” after seeing Gaethje working on that part of his game.