Topuria was punished by Gaethje in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC
The defeat to Justin Gaethje may have been the result of overconfidence on the part of Ilia Topuria . This is the assessment of Islam Makhachev , who believes that the Georgian underestimated his opponent at UFC Casa Branca , held on June 14 in Washington DC. For the Russian, the former champion believed too much in his own power and ended up paying dearly in the fight. The current welterweight champion (up to 77,1 kg) will headline next Saturday (15), against Ian Garry , in Philadelphia (USA).
In an interview with Demetrious Johnson 's YouTube channel , available this Tuesday (11), Makhachev stated that Topuria lost focus after reaching the top and entered the duel against Gaethje believing that he could finish the fight easily. According to the double champion, this type of attitude can happen when a fighter reaches the top.
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“When you become champion and lose focus, this happens. This is a very dangerous sport. And I think that’s what happened to Ilia. He simply underestimated him because he thought he could easily defeat him. He thought he could knock him out and believed in his power. But Gaethje is a real watchdog,” said Islam Makhachev.
Subsequently, the Russian also criticized the former champion's attitude before the fight. According to him, Topuria displayed excessive confidence by acting as if victory was guaranteed even before entering the octagon.
"How can you celebrate victory before the fight? I hope he comes back and puts in a good performance, because I see that Ilia is a good fighter," he added.
The loss to Gaethje marked Topuria's first defeat in the UFC and interrupted his trajectory at the top of the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg). Now, the Spaniard will have to rebuild his path to a new title fight.
Remember the confrontation between Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje face off at the White House. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube.
Topuria entered the fight against Gaethje riding high after winning the lightweight title (up to 70,3 kg) against Charles Oliveira and still undefeated in professional MMA, with 17 wins. The duel, held at UFC Casa Branca , pitted the undisputed champion against the then-interim champion for the unification of the belt.
However, the Georgian found an opponent willing to impose an intense pace from the first minutes. Justin Gaethje prevailed in a very balanced and tough fight, until the second round, when the American grew stronger and dominated until the fight was stopped after the fourth round by decision of Ilia Topuria 's team . With the result, the American won the title and inflicted the first defeat of his rival's career.
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