Aleksandre Topuria, brother of UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, has offered his assessment of Justin Gaethje’s fighting style ahead of their upcoming bout.
Aleksandre, who put his own professional MMA career on hold to support Ilia’s rise, is now 2-0 in the UFC. He has been helping Ilia prepare for the title-unification fight against Gaethje.
Gaethje’s Style: Strengths and Vulnerabilities
According to Aleksandre, Gaethje adjusts his attacks based on his opponent’s stance. He elaborated on Ilia’s YouTube channel about the specifics of Gaethje’s approach.
“One important thing: Justin Gaethje picks his shots when you stand in front of him,” Topuria said. He noted that Gaethje uses calf kicks when his opponent leans forward and uppercuts when they stand square.
Aleksandre also pointed out a potential weakness in Gaethje’s style. “He’s very fragile when he hits, but it’s a double-edged sword to choose to hit him when he’s hitting,” he stated. Aleksandre believes Gaethje is vulnerable when he attacks because “he doesn’t know how to hit clean… He hits with everything.”
Topuria Favoured Ahead of UFC Freedom 250
Ilia Topuria is coming off knockouts of Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira. He is a big favourite over interim champion Gaethje.
Topuria meets Justin Gaethje in a title-unification bout, which headlines UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 from the White House.
Aleksandre’s insights could prove valuable as Ilia prepares to face Gaethje in the title-unification bout.