Nikita Kulishin, one of Justin Gaethje's main sparring partners ahead of the Topuria fight, revealed that Gaethje's cutting uppercuts were a central weapon in camp — the same punch that opened a cut on Topuria's eye in the first round had previously cut Kulishin in sparring in the same spot. Kulishin explained that Gaethje deliberately practiced exaggerated head dips to his right, exploiting the fact that Topuria rarely throws high kicks, allowing him to safely dip low and attack from angles. The tactic, developed by coach Trevor Wittman, also involved a fake wrestling shot that transitioned into uppercuts, a sequence that was drilled dozens of times in preparation.
A sparring partner of Justin Gaethje has pulled back the curtain on the tactical blueprint that helped the lightweight champion upset Ilia Topuria, revealing that the finishing punch was no accident but the product of meticulous preparation.
Nikita Kulishin, identified as one of Gaethje's primary sparring partners heading into the fight, disclosed that cutting uppercuts were a cornerstone of camp work under coach Trevor Wittman. Kulishin noted that the same uppercut that opened a cut above Topuria's eye in the first round had previously split him in the identical spot during sparring — a detail that underscores just how precisely the gameplan was rehearsed. Wittman's scheme also featured a fake wrestling shot designed to set up uppercuts, a combination the team reportedly drilled dozens of times before fight night.
Gaethje, now 28-5 and the reigning lightweight champion at 37 years old, stands five-foot-eleven with a 70-inch reach. The American lands 6.48 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate — numbers that reflect the pressure-forward, high-output style that has defined his career. The deliberate head dips to his right, Kulishin explained, were engineered to exploit a specific gap in Topuria's offense: the Spaniard rarely throws high kicks, making aggressive lateral dips a lower-risk proposition than they would be against most opponents.
Topuria, ranked second at lightweight and first pound-for-pound at 29 years old, entered the fight carrying a 17-1 record. The Spanish-Georgian finisher averages 4.81 significant strikes per minute and mixes his output with nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes, presenting a multidimensional threat that required careful strategic planning.
Why it matters
- The revelation confirms the cut on Topuria was a rehearsed outcome, not an in-fight improvisation
- Wittman's fake-shot-to-uppercut sequence exploited a measurable tendency in Topuria's defensive game
- The tactical disclosure adds context to how Gaethje, a 37-year-old champion, was able to find edges against the pound-for-pound leader
