Gaethje Defends Divorce Remarks as Topuria Trade Barbs Ahead of UFC Title Fight

Justin Gaethje rejected accusations that he crossed a line by referencing Ilia Topuria's divorce ahead of their lightweight title fight. Gaethje told CBS Sports that Topuria had already disrespected him repeatedly. "He thinks he's God, and he had a funeral procession for me," Gaethje said.

Gaethje said the personal tone of the exchanges has made him more sensitive as the bout approaches. "And as I get closer to this fight, I'm going to be more vulnerable, more sensitive, and that's where we're at," he said. "No matter what, I get to fight him.

The dispute began when Topuria accused Gaethje of alluding to his recent divorce. Gaethje denied the claim and said he was commenting on Topuria's general behavior. " Gaethje asked. "I said he's annoying.

I would never want to be in the same room with him. I understand why anybody would leave him, and by anybody, a friend, a wife, a girlfriend, a manager, a coach. He talks about himself. " Gaethje added that he viewed his remarks as a defense of Topuria's wife.

"If anything, I was defending his wife. I can understand this motherf---er's annoying," he said. " Topuria responded by promising to prove Gaethje's father wrong on Sunday. "Obviously, short guys get mad when you call them short," Gaethje said.

Gaethje made the remarks in an interview with Fox Sports in which he said he would not tolerate Topuria's behavior. "I would leave him. No way I would put up with his shit," Gaethje remarked. Gaethje said he is unconcerned that the personal exchanges will give Topuria extra motivation.

"If that comment made him want to beat me up more, then I don't know what he was planning on doing before, because I've been planning on trying to hurt him the entire time, no matter what he said," he said. CBS Sports reported that Gaethje enters the fight as the betting underdog. Topuria is the current lightweight champion.

Topuria versus Gaethje headlines UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday on the White House South Lawn. The seven-fight card also includes an interim heavyweight title bout between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane and streams exclusively on Paramount+.