Dustin Poirier has an idea of what Justin Gaethje needs to do to ensure victory over Ilia Topuria.
Gaethje and Topuria are scheduled to collide in a lightweight title unification bout in the UFC Freedom 250 headliner. “The Highlight” captured the interim 155-pound gold when he earned a unanimous decision win over Paddy Pimblett back in January. At the time, Topuria was on hiatus.
Now that Gaethje and Topuria are set to clash at the White House on June 14, many are wondering if it’s possible for “The Highlight” to pull off an upset. During an appearance on “Deep Waters,” Poirier said that Gaethje must be as sharp as ever if he expects to have his hand raised (h/t MMAJunkie).
“It’s not that I’m rooting against him or anything, I just think it’s a tough stylistic matchup for him,” Poirier said. “If he’s loose with the big punches he throws, Ilia is so tight, combinations are short and clean. Gaethje just has to clean it up a little bit and like I said in the past, Gaethje has said this leading up to fights, ‘I have to be perfect.’ This fight he has to be perfect because Topuria is so dangerous.”
One of Gaethje’s biggest strengths is his leg-kicking ability. Poirier urged his former foe to utilize leg kicks and force Topuria into a brawl.
“He tore my legs up. He tore Chandler’s. He’s done it to a lot of people,” Poirier said of Gaethje. “Everything he throws is 100 percent. He can knock him out if he can get Ilia to brawl. But he has to set up those leg kicks. He can’t throw them dry, like empty leg kicks like that.”
This could be Gaethje’s final chance at becoming an undisputed UFC champion. He has held interim gold twice, but has yet to earn the undisputed distinction.
Can Justin Gaethje force Ilia Topuria into a brawl? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
