Gaethje sparring partner reveals key tactical details behind the Topuria upset

Nikita Kulishin, Justin Gaethje's primary sparring partner for the Topuria camp, revealed that Gaethje's cutting uppercuts opened an identical cut on him during training. Kulishin explained that Gaethje deliberately used deep head-movement to his right because Topuria rarely throws head kicks, allowing him to safely dip low and work his uppercut combinations. He added that Gaethje also feigned a level change to bait Topuria before transitioning to uppercuts, and that coach Trevor Wittman's preparation of these precise details was central to the game plan.