Ilia Topuria is just hours away from facing Justin Gaethje in the UFC Freedom 250 headliner at the White House to unify the lightweight titles. However, he is already making headlines for prematurely celebrating his win with friends, family, and most notably, boxing’s undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Topuria never lacks confidence heading into his bouts. He has celebrated in similar fashion before stepping into the cage on previous occasions. The 29-year-old has already changed his professional MMA record to 18-0 in his Instagram bio.
Ilia Topuria (left) faces off with Justin Gaethje (right) ahead of UFC Freedom 250 bout. [Images via UFC]
During his celebrations, Topuria delivered a speech to the attendees. He said:
“Tomorrow, it’s not a victory we have to earn. Victory is already ours.”
Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje trade final warnings before high-stakes UFC Freedom 250 title clash
In his last outing, Ilia Topuria delivered on his prediction when he knocked out Charles Oliveira in the first round at UFC 317. Topuria has predicted the same fate for Justin Gaethje at the White House.
Topuria fired a final warning to ‘The Highlight’ at the ceremonial weigh-ins. He said:
“Tomorrow night we are gonna live the American dream. I’m gonna get another victory, 18-0. I’m gonna get that victory with fashion.”
Meanwhile, Gaethje is not buying into Topuria’s antics and has vowed to halt the Georgian-Spaniard’s winning streak at 17. He said:
“I was absolutely made for this sh*t. I will take his 0 away from him tomorrow night, you watch.”
Check out Ilia Topuria’s and Justin Gaethje’s comments below:
ILIA TOPURIA AND JUSTIN GAETHJE FACE OFF FOR THE FINAL TIME 👀
🗣️ Gaethje: "I was absolutely made for this sh*t. I will take his 0 away from him tomorrow night, you watch."
🗣️ Topuria: "Tomorrow night we are gonna live the American dream. I'm gonna get another victory, 18-0.… pic.twitter.com/SquDU01zKq
Gaethje, now 37, is nearing the end of his professional career. The bout will likely mark his final opportunity to win undisputed lightweight gold in the UFC. Meanwhile, Topuria has hinted at his ambition to move up to welterweight and challenge Islam Makhachev for a third belt.
