Businessman suggests possible fight between Ilia Topuria (left) and Justin Gaethje . Photo: SUPER LUTAS montage
Jorge Masvidal believes a fight between Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria would be far from competitive. After the Spaniard defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 and became the lightweight champion (up to 70,3 kg), the race to define his next challenger has heated up. Among names like Paddy Pimblett and Arman Tsarukyan , 'The Highlight' appears as one of the favorites, something that the 'Street Jesus' considers a terrible idea.
In an interview with the website 'CasinoHawks', Masvidal warned that Justin Gaethje would be completely dominated by Ilia Topuria , stating that the fight would be a massacre and could cause even more damage to the American. According to him, despite Gaethje's popularity among fans, the confrontation would be unbalanced and dangerous.
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“ Justin Gaethje would be swept away by Ilia. Don’t do that, Gaethje. I know all Americans who drink Bud Light love Gaethje. But, man, you’re going to have this guy get massacred and end up with even more concussion than before. He’s going to come out of there looking like Homer Simpson. I think it’s a terrible fight for Gaethje,” said Jorge Masvidal.
Masvidal points to Tsarukyan as the most dangerous rival for Ilia Topuria
Although he doesn't believe Gaethje poses a threat to Topuria, Masvidal knows who could present difficulties for the champion. According to the former BMF, Arman Tsarukyan has the right tools to compete with El Matador inside the UFC octagon.
“I train a lot with Arman Tsarukyan , and I know his style well. I think he would give Ilia the best fight, probably because of his adaptability. He knows how to grapple. He exchanges well standing up. He is naturally bigger than Ilia. And they have similar speeds. They are very close in speed, while Ilia seems to press the fast-forward button and makes everyone else look like they're in slow motion. My partner can keep up in terms of speed. But even so, today I would still bet on Ilia,” concluded the former BMF champion.
Ilia Topuria minimizes chances of facing Arman Tsarukyan
The UFC lightweight champion insists he will not give Arman Tsarukyan a title shot . Ilia Topuria has once again slammed the door in the Russian's face.
“Look, when you put so much effort into the game and you have a guy in front of you who you don’t know if he can get out of the fight, that’s not good for us. It’s not like, ‘Oh, my back!’, man, I don’t care at all,” said Ilia Topuria in an interview with the 'Nelk Boys'.
Ilia Topuria raised her voice and even said that she would rather vacate the belt than fight Arman Tsarukyan.
"They're going to give him a fight before the title fight because there's no way around it. I'm the world champion, I'll never give him a chance to fight for the title. I'll be like, look, if that's the case, take my belt. I'm not doing that," Topuria said.
The response was not long in coming. Tsarukyan took to social media and, via 'X' (formerly Twitter), questioned the champion's mindset in making such statements.
“Imagine calling yourself a champion, but already looking for a way out. You can vacate it, or I’ll take it. Either way, it’s mine,” wrote Arman Tsarukyan.
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