Ahead of their UFC White House title unification headliner on June 14, former BMF champion Justin Gaethje broke his respectful stance towards featherweight champion Ilia Topuria by taking a highly personal shot at the Spaniard. Gaethje labelled Topuria a “gimmick” and mocked the recent settlement of the 29-year-old’s divorce during an interview with Fox Sports Australia.
Gaethje criticises Topuria’s promotional tactics
The tensions began when Topuria released a promotional video showing him placing a white rose on a mural of Gaethje alongside images of past featherweight champions Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. What had been a courteous rivalry shifted this week when Gaethje’s father predicted his son had “mastered fighting short guys” like Topuria. The champion responded by warning Gaethje of a “lesson in humility” and dismissing his father’s optimism as “hopes” rather than certainty.
In his latest comments, Gaethje minced no words about the rose gimmick. “All that guy is, is a gimmick,” he told Fox Sports Australia. “He calls himself the king. He thinks he’s a God. What an annoying little b——. I couldn’t imagine being in a room with him for 30 minutes listening to him talk about himself.”
Personal dig over divorce settlement
Gaethje then turned his fire on Topuria’s private life, referencing the Spanish champion’s protracted divorce from his ex-wife, Giorgina Uzcategui. Earlier this year, Topuria finalised the divorce and custody battle, which prompted him to announce time out from fighting to avoid delaying the featherweight division. Gaethje seized on those developments, quipping: “All I can say is this: I would leave him. That’s all I’m saying. No way would I put up with his s—.”
With both men known for their loud personas, Gaethje drew a parallel to featherweight contender Paddy Pimblett, who also boasted extreme self-confidence. “Look, I was young and dumb too, once. And up until this point, it’s served him well,” Gaethje added. “People see the way he talks and they believe it. Because he believes it. Which is amazing really. But it was similar with Paddy Pimblett… thinking you’re better than everybody else can be so detrimental.”
Stakes remain high for UFC White House
With the title unification bout set to headline the UFC White House event, the animosity between Gaethje and Topuria has reached a new level. Both men hold unbeaten records in recent contests—Topuria as featherweight champion and Gaethje as undisputed lightweight contender carrying the BMF legacy. Their looming clash promises to test whether personal provocation will play a role when the gloves come off in Washington, DC.
The build-up has shifted from mutual respect to outright hostility, ensuring that their June 14 showdown will carry extra emotional weight alongside the championship stakes.
FAQ
What did Justin Gaethje call Ilia Topuria?
In his interview with Fox Sports Australia, Justin Gaethje labelled Ilia Topuria a “gimmick” and an “annoying little b——” over the Spanish champion’s promotional video featuring a white rose stunt.
When and where will the UFC White House title unification fight take place?
The featherweight title unification bout between Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria is scheduled to headline the UFC White House event on June 14 in Washington, DC.
Why did Gaethje reference Topuria’s divorce?
Gaethje took a personal shot at Topuria by mocking the champion’s recent divorce settlement from his ex-wife, Giorgina Uzcategui, implying he would not tolerate such personal drama.
How did Topuria respond to early comments from Gaethje’s camp?
After Gaethje’s father claimed his son had mastered fighting short opponents, Topuria fired back by warning Gaethje he would get a “lesson in humility” and dismissed the father’s prediction as mere hope.
