Justin Gaethje admits fear of potential UFC title fight with Ilia Topuria

Justin Gaethje isn’t shy in admitting he’s a bit scared at the thought of fighting Ilia Topuria.

Gaethje could very well be sharing the Octagon with Topuria at some point in 2026. He’ll need to put a halt to Paddy Pimblett’s momentum first. Gaethje and Pimblett are scheduled to clash for the interim UFC Lightweight Championship on Jan. 24. The interim title fight will headline UFC 324, which will be the top MMA promotion’s first event under the Paramount deal.

In an interview with ESPN Deportes, Gaethje said a showdown with Topuria actually scares him in a good way (via MMAFighting).

“Ilia, I trust in my A to B, it’s what I have to trust in,” Gaethje said. “I trust in my intuition. I trust in my ability to judge distance and time and just be there. This sport is so crazy. Anything can happen. There’s a reason why we’re all on the edge of our seats every fight because anything can happen at any moment. So again, it comes down to not making mistakes against a guy like that.

“Not eating his right hand. Not walking into his right hand. His left hook, his 2-3 is one of the best combinations I’ve seen in this sport, so it’s a beautiful challenge and I love how scared I’ll be.”

Topuria won’t be putting his gold at stake at UFC 324 because he is currently on hiatus. “El Matador” captured the 155-pound gold when he knocked out Charles Oliveira in the first round back in June. He had vacated the featherweight title in order to get the lightweight championship opportunity.

Gaethje is closer to the end of his prizefighting career than ever before and he has yet to win undisputed UFC gold. He is a former interim and BMF champion, but the undisputed distinction has alluded the 37-year-old. Time will tell if he can set Pimblett back and earn what could be his final UFC title fight in 2026.