Justin Gaethje doubles down on Ilia Topuria divorce taunts: ‘I was defending her!’

Interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje feels no line was crossed in his recent taunts of Ilia Topuria’s divorce.

Tensions are ramping up between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje ahead of UFC Freedom 250. Topuria vs. Gaethje headlines a stacked card on the White House lawn, featuring the returns of fan favorites like Alex Pereira, Derrick Lewis, and Michael Chandler.

Despite months of mutual respect between Topuria and Gaethje, things took a turn after Gaethje’s father got involved in pre-fight trash talk. After Topuria’s harsh response, Gaethje hit Topuria back by invoking the UFC lightweight champion’s recent divorce into mental warfare.

Reactions to Gaethje’s comments were mixed, with some feeling the interim titleholder crossed the line in invoking Topuria’s personal issues into trash talk. Topuria says Gaethje crossed a personal line with his remarks, and their feud has escalated, as evidenced by a recent joint interview.

But Gaethje doesn’t regret targeting Topuria’s family life.

Justin Gaethje ‘defended’ Ilia Topuria’s ex-wife in recent controversial remarks

In a recent interview with CBS Sports‘ Shakiel Mahjouri, Gaethje was asked if he feels he went too far in bringing up Topuria’s personal life in pre-fight trash talk.

“No matter what his Dad would ever say about me, I would never speak directly to him; that’s not my place,” Gaethje said of Topuria.

“My Dad…he didn’t even say anything bad. Of course, he’s going to have my back. He called him short, and obviously short guys get mad when you call them short…I said he’s annoying and I would never want to be in the same room with him. I understand why anybody would leave him. A friend, wife, girlfriend, manager, or coach. He talks about himself and walks around and smells his own farts, thinks he’s God.

“He had a funeral procession for me, and he wants to act like he’s so respectful. He’s f***** disrespected me every chance he’s had,” Gaethje continued. “If anything, I was defending his wife! I can understand, this m************’s annoying. Never shuts up, and he’s always talking about himself.”

As UFC White House draws closer, expect Thursday’s pre-fight press conference to be fireworks with Topuria, Gaethje, and the rest of the card.

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