Justin Gaethje does not believe size is a problem, Ilia Topuria’s move will be deterrent to his own success at 155 pounds: “Only guy to put me to sleep…”

UFC 313 star Justin Gaethje supports Ilia Topuria's move to the division ahead of battle with Rafael Fiziev on March 8, from T-Mobile Arena.

Justin Gaethje does not believe size is a problem, Ilia Topuria’s move will be deterrent to his own success at 155 pounds: “Only guy to put me to sleep…”

UFC 313 star Justin Gaethje supports Ilia Topuria shifting division (Source: X/IMAGO)

UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje hopes to be the undeniable 155-pound top seed someday and challenge for gold. He runs things back with Rafael Fiziev at the UFC 313 PPV event. One thing that has shaken up the lightweight ranks is the arrival of Ilia Topuria. Gaethje, though, is unbothered.

As soon as the first punch is thrown at the UFC 314 PPV on April 12 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Ilia Topuria will have vacated his featherweight strap. It has opened up a vacant spot where Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes battle for gold. “El Matador” and Club Climente camp have stated weight cut reasons as a move-up. Human “Highlight” Justin Gaethje is unbothered with said move as a roadblock to him at lightweight. Hence, he is all in and supportive of it.

I mean, there’s just no way to say. I think him being a featherweight coming up to lightweight is not a factor. I think we saw that with Max Holloway. The only guy to put me to sleep was a featherweight, so that sh*t don’t work…

Justin Gaethje to Shakiel Mhajouri for Shak MMA

UFC 313 star Gaethje reiterated the case of featherweight Max Holloway to encourage Topuria’s move-up and separate himself from the big equation. Holloway made a more successful hydration at 155 pounds for the second time. Last April, he KOed the Elevation Fight Team fighter at the UFC 300 PPV. Subsequently, Ilia Topuria became the only one to KO Holloway at UFC 308 PPV, so all is possible.

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Many other lightweight peers have also supported crips boxer Topuria’s move to 155 pounds. MMA analyst and play-by-play Michael Bisping thinks Ilia Topuria might have that skills ceiling to challenge champion Islam Makhachev soon. Makhachev can outbox but treads ahead in Sambo; Club Climente says the Spaniard’s grappling game is even more untested than his boxing. Gaethje will let the pieces fall into place by themselves; he has other work for now.

Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev: UFC 313 odds and tidbits

Gaethje is hoping to be the undeniable No. 1 contender after UFC 313; he has Rafael Fiziev to go through again. This pairing came to be after Aussie lightweight sensation Dan Hooker pulled out due to a fractured hand.

Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev to run it back at UFC 313
Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev to run it back at UFC 313 (Source: X)

Former interim lightweight champion Gaethje is looking to rebound hard from his buzzer-beater KO loss at UFC 300 PPV. Previously, at UFC 291, Dustin Poirier was knocked out with a head kick by “Highlight”; also for the BMF strap.

In the meantime, Fiziev has been on a two-fight losing streak. Since tearing his ACL in a TKO loss to Mateusz Gamrot in September 2023, the Team Tiger Muay Thai fighter hasn’t been in active contention. Gaethje also won a majority decision over Fiziev in their ‘Fight of the Night’ scrapper at UFC 286 in March 2023.

Despite the beatdown and the win, for UFC 313 (per DraftKings Sportsbooks), Gaethje is a +114 underdog on the money line. Rafael Fiziev has opened up a moderate -135 favorite to prop and rising. Come their actual rematch, it’s again a puncher’s chance to victory.

Related: Justin Gaethje breaks silence as unseen disturbing footage of UFC’s ‘greatest knockout’ surfaces: “Die by the sword”