Gaethje sparring partner reveals how Justin's signature uppercuts were drilled for Topuria camp

Nikita Kulishin, one of Justin Gaethje's primary sparring partners ahead of the Topuria fight, revealed that he suffered the same eye cut from Gaethje's uppercut during camp that Topuria received in the first round of their bout. Kulishin described in detail how Gaethje used a fake wrestling entry to set up his cutting uppercuts, and explained that Gaethje deliberately made exaggerated head slips because he knew Topuria rarely throws leg kicks. He credited coach Trevor Wittman for engineering the precise game plan, noting that every small detail practiced in the gym played out in the fight.