Justin Gaethje has expressed a desire to pay Ilia Topuria for successfully landing body shots against him, framing it as a compliment. Gaethje's mindset, according to those around him, is that he actively wants to absorb those shots and feel them as part of his fighting philosophy.
Justin Gaethje is embracing punishment as a badge of honor, revealing he would happily send Ilia Topuria payment for every body shot the Georgian-born Spaniard lands on him.
The lightweight champion made the tongue-in-cheek remark as a way of signaling his approach to absorbing shots in a fight, with those close to him confirming that feeling body work is a core part of Gaethje's fighting philosophy rather than something he looks to avoid.
Gaethje, 37, holds the lightweight title and carries a record of 28-5-0. Fighting out of Genesis Training Center, the American orthodox striker is among the division's most active and accurate fighters, landing 6.48 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate. His approach has always leaned into pressure and damage exchange, making his comments about welcoming body shots entirely consistent with his known style.
Topuria, ranked second in the lightweight division and currently sitting at number one pound-for-pound, would be a fearsome source of that punishment. The 29-year-old Spaniard out of Climent Club owns a 17-1-0 record and lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute with a 48 percent accuracy rate. He also adds a meaningful ground threat, averaging 1.96 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes, giving him a layered attack that extends well beyond his striking.
Why it matters
- Gaethje holds the lightweight title while Topuria sits ranked second in the division, making a matchup between them a title fight with immediate consequences.
- Gaethje's willingness to absorb punishment is philosophically at odds with Topuria's precision body attack, setting up an intriguing style contrast.
- Topuria's pound-for-pound top ranking and multi-dimensional skill set make him one of the most credible threats to Gaethje's title reign in the division.
