Just days before the fight between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje expressed that he didn't care about the outcome of the match. Instead, he is just eager to fight the winner in November at Madison Square Garden (MSG).
During a discussion on Austin Keen's YouTube channel, 'The Highlight' was asked who he would prefer between Topuria and Oliveira to face for the title. In response, Gaethje said:
"I don't care who wins. I just want to fight the winner. Topuria is the big name right now, cocky. I'd love to knock him out... I don't give a f**k who wins. I hope one of them is put to sleep and I get to fight the winner in November at Madison Square Garden."
Check out Justin Gaethje's comments below (6:14):
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'El Matador' became the new lightweight champion by defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Gaethje, who didnāt have a preference for the fight's outcome, was in attendance at the T-Mobile Arena to watch the bout.
Last year, UFC 309, which was headlined by Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, took place at Madison Square Garden in New York. Although there has been no official confirmation yet, there are speculations that the UFC will return to MSG in November.
Ilia Topuria snubs potential Justin Gaethje fight
Although Justin Gaethje has expressed interest in a fight for the UFC lightweight title, champion Ilia Topuria is not keen on that matchup. According to Topuria, the 155-pound division needs "new faces", and he believes a potential fight against Gaethje wouldn't excite fans.
In an interview with ESPN MMA after UFC 317, Topuria shared his thoughts, saying:
"Fighting against Justin Gaethje, I don't think that's gonna be something exciting for the fans. We need new blood in the division. We need new faces that come hungrier than the guys that we are used to seeing in the past."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (5:21):
Gaethje is currently 1-1 in his last two fights, having lost to Max Holloway at UFC 303 and, after that defeat, he won against Rafael Fiziev by unanimous decision at UFC 313.