Justin Gaethje compares Ilia Topuria to Conor McGregor as he predicts sharp UFC downfall

Interim UFC lightweight champ Justin Gaethje believes Ilia Topuria is about to hit a massive wall due to his Conor McGregor-esque ego.

UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria is one of the biggest stars in combat sports after knocking out Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, and Charles Oliveira over his last three fights. During his unbeaten UFC tenure, he’s one of a handful of UFC legends to win titles in multiple divisions, and could potentially fight for a third belt if he moves up to fight Islam Makhachev.

Topuria’s power inside the Octagon, to go with his bravado outside of it, has drawn comparisons to Conor McGregor. Coincidentally, McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon at UFC 329 will take place just weeks after the upcoming Topuria vs. Gaethje card on the White House lawn.

After a quick ascent in the UFC, McGregor’s stock dipped after defeating Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, and his infamous ‘Money Fight’ with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. According to Gaethje, Topuria is trending towards a similar downfall after his recent personal attacks against Gaethje’s father and other top lightweight contenders.

Justin Gaethje: Ilia Topuria’s ego will produce Conor McGregor-like fall

In a recent interview with TMZ, Gaethje compared Topuria’s rise to McGregor’s but predicted a similarly epic downfall.

“This is how he approaches many of his fights,” Gaethje said of Topuria.

“He’s been successful every time along the way. Again, it’s similar to McGregor and how McGregor approached fights. You’re gonna make yourself this unbeatable, infallible person and then when you lose, where do you go from there?

“I can’t wait to teach him that lesson, I’ve been there before. I was 17-0 at one point when I got to the UFC, he’s much more accomplished at 17-0 than I was. There’s no doubt this kid is special but this sport is so crazy.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

The closest that Topuria has come to losing was in his UFC lightweight debut against Jai Herbert in 2022. After getting dropped by a brutal head kick, Topuria rallied to knock out Herbert and cement himself as a dangerous finisher inside the Octagon.

Similar to how Khabib Nurmagomedov stopped McGregor’s superstardom, Gaethje will look to hand Topuria a taste of humility on the White House lawn. Despite being a significant underdog, Gaethje is confident he can produce at least one more highlight reel.

What is your prediction for Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje? Let us know in the comments!