Justin Gaethje isn\u2019t shy in admitting he\u2019s a bit scared at the thought of fighting Ilia Topuria.<\/p>\n
Gaethje could very well be sharing the Octagon with Topuria at some point in 2026. He\u2019ll need to put a halt to Paddy Pimblett\u2019s momentum first. Gaethje and Pimblett are scheduled to clash<\/a> for the interim UFC Lightweight Championship on Jan. 24. The interim title fight will headline UFC 324, which will be the top MMA promotion\u2019s first event under the Paramount deal.<\/p>\n In an interview with ESPN Deportes<\/a>, Gaethje said a showdown with Topuria actually scares him in a good way (via MMAFighting<\/a>).<\/p>\n \u201cIlia, I trust in my A to B, it\u2019s what I have to trust in,\u201d Gaethje said. \u201cI 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\u2019s a reason why we\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n \u201cNot eating his right hand. Not walking into his right hand. His left hook, his 2-3 is one of the best combinations I\u2019ve seen in this sport, so it\u2019s a beautiful challenge and I love how scared I\u2019ll be.\u201d<\/p>\n