Kamaru Usman believes Justin Gaethje is getting disrespected ahead of UFC White House fight against Ilia Topuria

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman believes Justin Gaethje is getting overlooked ahead of UFC White House.

Gaethje is set to headline the White House card on June 14 as he takes on Ilia Topuria for the lightweight title. Heading into the fight, Gaethje is a massive +350 underdog, while the champ is a -520 favorite on FanDuel. The oddsmakers and many fans believe Topuria will walk through Gaethje, but Usman thinks that’s disrespectful, and people can’t overlook the interim champ.

“It’s crazy, these odds,” Usman said on his Pound 4 Pound podcast. “They still have Justin at like a what, 4-1 underdog? What was Justin in his last fight? He was also a 3-1 underdog the last fight? Something crazy like that. Justin Gaethje was the underdog.

“It is what it is. Whoever the oddsmakers are, or whatever, I just feel the disrespect is there. Even myself. I was the underdog in my fight (vs. Buckley). The disrespect is there, but it is what it is. That’s what we love to do as professional athletes. We like to go in there, and we like to really silence the critics. So, I love it.”

As Usman noted, Gaethje was a sizable underdog in his last fight against Paddy Pimblett. So, being the underdog isn’t something new to ‘The Highlight,’ and Usman likes Gaethje’s chances against the undefeated fighter.

Justin Gaethje is excited to fight Ilia Topuria

Although Gaethje is a sizable underdog against Topuria, he’s looking forward to the fight.

Gaethje believes he’s at his best when he feels like he could be in danger against his opponent, and he knows Topuria brings in plenty of danger.

“This is going to be very easy to convince myself that I’m in a lot of danger,” Gaethje said on About Last Fight. “His last few wins and really all of his wins in the UFC, but specifically his last three or four, have been crazy knockouts against the top-caliber athletes in the sport.

“It’s nerve-racking, it’s scary but it’s exactly what me as a competitor has done my whole life. I’ve always wanted the biggest matches. I’ve always gone up a weight class in a dual match to wrestle their best guy. So I just can’t wait. But I would say I’m kind of excited but I just know how much work I’m about to have to put in.”

Gaethje enters the bout with a record of 27-5 and is coming off a decision win over Paddy Pimblett to win the interim title. Before that, he beat Rafael Fiziev to return to the win column.

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