Justin Gaethje and his head coach have been meticulously studying Ilia Topuria’s previous fights to gain a comprehensive understanding of his fighting style. Gaethje, the interim lightweight champion, is set to face the reigning 155-pound titleholder, Topuria, in the main event of UFC 250 next weekend.
In prior interviews, “The Highlight” has outlined his strategic approach. Gaethje intends to dictate the pace and advance against Topuria on June 14th. He believes that Topuria’s past opponents were caught off guard while retreating, leading to their defeat. To avoid a similar outcome, Gaethje plans to press forward, viewing this as the key to overcoming “El Matador.”
Justin Gaethje’s Head Coach, Trevor Wittman, Breaks Down a Noteworthy Tendency in Ilia Topuria
Justin Gaethje’s coach, Trevor Wittman, offers crucial insights and advice to his fighter ahead of their title unification bout. Recently, Gaethje and Wittman reviewed Topuria’s 2022 knockout victory over Jai Herbert in the second round. This fight was a fierce slugfest where Topuria initially struggled with striking but consistently advanced. After cornering Herbert and landing a damaging body shot in the second round, Topuria secured a decisive knockout with a powerful right hook.
Wittman noted that during that bout, Topuria was knocked down by a head kick. However, as soon as Herbert attempted to press for the finish, Topuria managed to secure a takedown. Reflecting on this moment, Gaethje’s head coach stated:
“Sometimes he’ll wrestle, and usually when he does, it’s because he’s been hurt.”
Wittman further elaborated that Topuria attacks with full power when committing to combinations, a factor Gaethje must respect. Wittman’s current focus is to identify the triggers behind Topuria’s tendency to resort to wrestling when under duress, by analyzing past footage. The ultimate goal is to understand Topuria’s game without being drawn into fighting according to “El Matador’s” strengths.
Concluding his thoughts, the founder of ONX Sports emphasized:
“We are not gonna fight his fight. We wanna fight our fight. Ilia is a superstar, but he’s 100% human, and we’re going to show him that night.”
Below are the comments from Justin Gaethje’s coach, Trevor Wittman:
👀 Justin Gaethje and Trevor Wittman watching Ilia Topuria’s fight against Jai Herbert, where Ilia got dropped by a head kick! 🦵💥
🗣️Trevor: ‘Ilia commits to combinations and throws everything at 100%. You have to respect that.
Sometimes he’ll wrestle, and usually when he… pic.twitter.com/2RN2MANhuQ
— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) June 7, 2026
Justin Gaethje and Coach Analyze Ilia Topuria’s Reaction Under Pressure
Justin Gaethje and his head coach are studying Ilia Topuria’s fight history to understand the “El Matador” challenge better. Gaethje, the interim lightweight champion, is slated to face the undisputed 155-pound king, Topuria, in the main event of UFC 250.
Gaethje has previously shared his fight strategy: he plans to control the tempo and move forward against Topuria. He believes that Topuria’s previous opponents were defeated because they were moving backward, making them vulnerable. To avoid this fate, Gaethje intends to advance, seeing it as the key to defeating “El Matador.”
Justin Gaethje’s Coach, Trevor Wittman, Identifies a Key Tendency in Ilia Topuria
Justin Gaethje’s coach, Trevor Wittman, has provided valuable insights for his fighter before their title unification match. Gaethje and Wittman recently reviewed Topuria’s second-round knockout win over Jai Herbert. The 2022 bout was a tough striking exchange where Topuria faced adversity but continued to push forward. After trapping Herbert against the cage and hurting him with a body shot in the second round, Topuria landed a devastating right hook, knocking Herbert out cold before he hit the ground.
Wittman highlighted that Topuria was knocked down by a head kick in that fight. However, the moment Herbert attempted to capitalize, Topuria secured a takedown. Commenting on this instance, Gaethje’s coach stated:
“Typically, he resorts to wrestling when he’s been hurt.”
Wittman further explained that Topuria commits to his combinations with full force, which Gaethje needs to acknowledge. Wittman’s primary task as Gaethje’s coach is to identify patterns by analyzing past fights to understand why Topuria often turns to wrestling when in a difficult situation. This aims to pinpoint the triggers for such reactions, with the objective of comprehending Topuria’s fighting style without engaging in a fight that favors “El Matador.”
Finally, the founder of ONX Sports added:
“We will not fight his fight; we aim to fight ours. Ilia is a star, but he is entirely human, and we will demonstrate that to him on fight night.”
Justin Gaethje and Coach Analyze Ilia Topuria’s Reaction Under Pressure
Justin Gaethje and his head coach are studying Ilia Topuria’s past performances to better understand the “El Matador” puzzle. Gaethje, the interim lightweight champion, is scheduled to face the reigning 155-pound titleholder, Topuria, in the main event of UFC 250.
Gaethje has previously discussed his game plan, which involves controlling the momentum and advancing against Topuria. He believes Topuria’s previous opponents were defeated because they were caught moving backward. To avoid a similar fate, Gaethje plans to press forward, considering it the key to defeating “El Matador.”
Justin Gaethje’s Coach, Trevor Wittman, Identifies a Noteworthy Tendency in Ilia Topuria
Justin Gaethje’s coach, Trevor Wittman, is providing crucial insights for his fighter ahead of their title unification bout. Gaethje and Wittman recently reviewed Topuria’s second-round knockout victory over Jai Herbert from 2022. The fight was a slugfest where Topuria faced early striking adversity but consistently pressed forward. After backing Herbert against the cage and hurting him with a body shot, Topuria landed a devastating right hook, knocking Herbert out.
Wittman pointed out that Topuria was dropped by a head kick in that fight. However, as soon as Herbert sought to finish, Topuria managed to catch his leg and secure a takedown. Reflecting on this moment, Gaethje’s head coach commented:
“He sometimes opts to wrestle, typically when he has been hurt.”
Wittman further explained that Topuria commits to his combinations with 100% power, something Gaethje must respect. Wittman’s current focus is on identifying the underlying reasons for Topuria’s tendency to wrestle when hurt by analyzing past footage. The objective is to understand Topuria’s fighting style without being drawn into a fight that suits “El Matador.”
Lastly, the founder of ONX Sports stated:
“We will not engage in his preferred style of fighting; we intend to fight our way. Ilia is a superstar, but he is completely human, and we will prove that to him on fight night.”
Justin Gaethje and Coach Analyze Ilia Topuria’s Reaction Under Pressure
Justin Gaethje and his head coach are examining Ilia Topuria’s fight history to understand the “El Matador” challenge better. Gaethje, the interim lightweight champion, is set to face the reigning 155-pound titleholder, Topuria, in the main event of UFC 250.
Gaethje has previously outlined his strategy: he plans to control the pace and move forward against Topuria. He believes Topuria’s past opponents were defeated because they were moving backward, leaving them vulnerable. To avoid a similar fate, Gaethje intends to press forward, seeing this as the key to overcoming “El Matador.”
Justin Gaethje’s Coach, Trevor Wittman, Points Out a Key Tendency in Ilia Topuria
Justin Gaethje’s coach, Trevor Wittman, is offering significant insights to his fighter before their title unification bout. Gaethje and Wittman recently reviewed Topuria’s 2022 knockout victory over Jai Herbert. The fight was a tough striking exchange where Topuria initially struggled with striking but consistently pushed forward. After trapping Herbert against the cage and hurting him with a body shot, Topuria landed a decisive right hook, knocking Herbert out.
Wittman noted that Topuria was knocked down by a head kick in that fight. However, as soon as Herbert attempted to finish the fight, Topuria managed to secure a takedown. Commenting on this moment, Gaethje’s head coach stated:
“Sometimes he resorts to wrestling, usually when he has been hurt.”
Wittman further explained that Topuria attacks with full force when committing to combinations, a fact that Gaethje must respect. Wittman’s current role is to identify the underlying causes for Topuria’s tendency to wrestle when under duress by studying past footage. The ultimate goal is to understand Topuria’s fighting style without engaging in a fight that favors “El Matador.”
Finally, the founder of ONX Sports added:
“We will not fight his fight; we want to fight our fight. Ilia is a superstar, but he is entirely human, and we will show him that on fight night.”