Ilia Topuria is giving his sparring partners a hard time.
Topuria, the reigning UFC lightweight champion, will lock horns with current and two-time interim 155-pound titleholder Justin Gaethje on June 14, in the main event of UFC Freedom 250.
With just a few weeks left for the fight, Topuria is going all out in training sessions.
Check out Ilia Topuria’s latest training clip below:
In a recent YouTube video uploaded to his channel, Topuria’s training partners confessed that “El Matador” is catching them with some “very strong punches” and training with the 29-year-old is no easy game. His sparring partners said:
“Sparring with Ilia is crazy. We had the opportunity to feel the power of his fist. My liver is fu*ked up after the session. It’s an amazing experience, and I think it will level up our skills to the maximum.”
Topuria’s training partners have also predicted that “El Matador” will finish Justin Gaethje in the first round on June 14. They added:
“All the time I felt the pressure from Ilia, I think he finishes [Gaethje] in the first round.”
Check out Ilia Topuria’s sparring partner’s comments below:
Arman Tsarukyan says it “sucks” to be the backup for the Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje fight
Dana White has already announced that top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan is the official backup for the UFC Freedom 250 main event.
Tsarukyan has to make weight for the fight, and the promotion will pay him regardless of whether he gets to step in on June 14. After the UFC 311 blunder and other behavioral reasons that kept Tsarukyan away from a title shot, it’s now a positive sign for the Armenian to be selected as the official backup, as even if he doesn’t end up fighting, he could still secure a title shot later this year.
However, Tsarukyan is not too happy to serve as backup for another UFC lightweight title fight yet again. On the JAXXON Podcast, he said:
“I’m excited that if something happens, they’ll call me. I’m the first guy who is going to jump in, and I’m getting ready for that. I’m already on my diet, but it always sucks to be backup, but now I have to do this.”
Check out Arman Tsarukyan’s comments below:
